


Dragon Ball Multiverse: Tournament Edition

by laserkid97



Series: Dragon Ball Multiverse [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-23
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-15 19:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 254,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5797522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laserkid97/pseuds/laserkid97
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the title says all! Feel free to comment and helpful critisism is welcome!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Very Strange Tournament

The bright morning sun shone high in a cloudless sky, a sign of another great day for planet Earth. Busily scurrying through the kitchen of their simple city-house, two parents were preparing breakfast. "Pan," Son Gohan called out to his daughter, "breakfast is ready!"  
“Is she up at least?” Videl, the man's wife, asked, placing one last box of cereal on the table.  
Before Gohan could reply, the patter of footsteps came hurtling down the stairs from the second floor. The man grinned at the sight, readjusting his glasses with a small gesture.  
'No doubt about it, she's awake,' Gohan inwardly chuckled.  
The fourteen year old girl, dressed in a kimono and wearing a red stick on her back, had already bolted for the front door.  
“Mom! Dad! I’m heading out!”  
“Hey! Where are you going dressed like that?” her mother intoned, raising an eyebrow.  
“Grandpa promised that today I'm gonna get to train with Uub. Seriously, I am not gonna miss this!"  
“You don’t even know where they are,” Gohan replied, sipping on his drink.  
But the orange liquid nearly bolted from his mouth a second later, at the sudden surge of a powerful ki signature. It was too far away to determine its exact position, but Gohan could definitely sense who it belonged to. And if he could detect it, so could Pan. The girl fired a mocking nod her father’s way, bumping against him as she rushed outside—the door slamming behind her was almost enough to make her hesitate.  
“I’m off!” yelled the young Saiyan fighter.  
“But...” her mother called out a second too late. She sighed in defeat, turning to her husband. “That girl just does whatever she wants...”  
Gohan nodded to her, but with an air of distraction. His mind was focused on following his daughter’s energy as she flew. He’d continue tracking her the entire flight, around ten minutes, just to be sure she arrived.  
“Well, at least we don’t have to worry about her safety, Videl,” Gohan said with a reassuring smile. “She’ll be with Dad, so there’s really no danger. Well, apart from the normal aspects of training...”  
“Gohan,” Videl replied, crossing her arms. “You do realize she had class this morning! She’s in high school now, the whole missing for training thing is starting to get old,” she argued, visibly upset.  
“Ah, I wouldn’t worry too much,” her husband answered with a gentle smile. “Those classes are mostly remedial anyway, she’ll catch up. And besides,” Gohan continued, rising from the table, “even I missed a few years of study—at the time I was even younger than her...”  
Videl sighed, looking out the kitchen window almost longingly. Her young daughter could barely be seen in the distance, a faint speck on the horizon riding upon a yellow cloud.  
“I still think we let her get away with too much…”  
“Videl, dear, she’s already an entire grade ahead of the other students. If there was a problem, trust me, I’d insist she study. But the truth is, Pan’s even more talented than I am.”  
“It’s a time of peace, though...” Videl replied, hands on her hips. “Her priority should be her classes for the moment, while she practices martial arts in her spare time!”  
“Honey, you’re going to have to cut that out,” Gohan chuckled, smiling in recollection. “You’re starting to sound just like my mother.”  
“Eh, I know,” Videl replied, seemingly agitated at herself—she certainly had not intended to become like Chi Chi. “It's just... I want her to be able to get a really good job when she grows up. Fighting should be a hobby, something secondary...”  
Gohan got up to move closer to his wife, placing his hand on her shoulder.  
"That’s just the way it is, Videl. There’s really nothing we can do about it... She's been following in her grandfather’s footsteps ever since she could walk. And besides, you worry too much. She might even grow up to be both the smartest and strongest one of us all."  
“But Gohan, surely—”  
“If it'll make you feel better, I’ll invite Dad over to dinner tonight.”  
Videl's face brightened. “That's a great idea!”  
Suddenly gazing up at the wall clock, Gohan realized that he was running late to work—something that had never happened in all his years.  
“Go on, darling,” Videl said to her husband, following his eyes. “You’re gonna to be late.”The thunderous booms of powerful blows echoed through an isolated mountainous region, reverberating through the pillars and plateaus. The shock waves produced could be felt through the ground for miles around, though there was nothing but deserted wasteland in each direction. Occasionally mixed in to the destructive background noise was the shout of battle cries. These were the screams of those pushing themselves to give their all, to fight with their full strength.  
The commotion disturbing the mountainous landscape was, in fact, an incredible battle between two most exceptional warriors. The battle, which was a simple warm up match between the pair, was taking place at speeds unimaginable for the average human being. The quantity of power being emitted by the two of them must have been equivalent to at least a million humans.  
After a few minutes of training, the two friends—master and disciple—took a little break and began talking.  
"I didn't sweat a single bead, sensei," Uub said, almost complaining about the ease of things. He was the younger of the two; brown skinned, dressed in a red-orange martial arts gi, and twenty years old. "I'm not even out of breath...""That's the point of interval training." His sensei Goku replied, scratching his head with one finger, slightly embarrassed. "The training methods you wanted to do would’ve put the entire planet at risk."  
Uub, now sitting on a nearby rock, took in the surrounding landscape that he and his sensei had been battling in.  
"Yeah, this area has already gotten pretty pulverized from our brief bit of training, hasn't it?" he observed, noticing the various craters and shattered structures.  
"Nah, don't worry. It wasn't our fight that caused all the damage here. Well... actually, maybe a little... Haha," Goku replied, having a brief flashback. "If I recall, this is the location where Vegeta and I first battled," he said to his disciple.  
"Vegeta? Really!?" Uub exclaimed.  
The young warrior, reincarnation of the mighty Majin Buu—the monster who’d nearly destroyed the universe—closed his eyes and took in the landscape, trying to imagine what had undoubtedly been an epic duel nearly thirty years ago.  
"Alright, so are you inspired now?” Goku said, standing up suddenly and clapping his hands. The boy nodded. “Then let’s get back at it!"  
"Alright!" replied the young man, his voice renewed with enthusiasm.  
"Good. This time, I’m counting on you to surpass your current level! As usual, try to keep up."  
Goku took his stance. With bent legs slightly spread apart and fists clenched, the Saiyan began summoning his power, refraining from his Super Saiyan transformation for the time being. A blue and white aura surrounded him and his hair flowed in the sudden wind he’d created.  
Opposite him, Uub began to power up as well, his cry louder and more sustained. A white aura instantly surrounded the boy.  
"Push it, Uub! Go higher! Go further than you–"The teacher was suddenly cut off by a surge of energy from Uub, who’d emitted a slightly larger amount of power than before. Goku smiled, surprised.  
"Good job, Uub. But,” he smirked, “can you keep up with this?"  
The blueish-white aura surrounding Goku suddenly flared alive with a golden hue, his hair shining along with it. His Super Saiyan eyes were greenish-blue as always. While the Saiyan’s power had not increased too dramatically, it definitely put his strength above Uub's, who was only half as strong as Goku now. However, his master had taught him a useful technique for situations just like this, a technique that he immediately used.  
Uub’s muscles bulged and, with a roar, he yelled, "Kaioken!"  
The white aura surrounding Uub went scarlet red. His muscles took more volume as his blood vessels swelled to allow faster blood flow. His strength multiplied, and before long it exceeded that of his master. Goku, who was not shaken, clenched his fists even harder and began to draw in more power. With another flash, his hair stood even further on end, leaving only a single lock over his forehead. His muscles had also increased in volume, and sporadic bolts of lightning crackled through his aura.  
‘Time for the next level...’ Uub thought to himself.  
Uub concentrated with his every effort as he passed through level after level of Kaioken. “Times three... Four... Five...” He continued stage by stage without rushing.  
This time, just as Goku wanted, Uub hoped to reach a higher level than he ever had before. For months on end he had hardened his body to be able to withstand higher levels of power.  
Yes... This was it... This time for sure he’d surprise his master! Just a little more effort and concentration and— 'What the hell?' Uub thought suddenly, breaking his focus and power.  
"Grandpa!"  
"Hey, hey! I know that voice!" Goku said, releasing his power and looking up to the sky along with Uub.  
The figure approaching them was a young girl of fourteen, clearing the last hundred meter gap between them at full speed. The quarter-saiyan adeptly navigated down to their position and jerked to a halt.  
"Grandpa," Pan said, touching down with an angry look on her face. "You promised that you wouldn't start without me!"  
"Sorry Pan! But we were ready to go and you still weren't here... But hey, tell me, why did you come on Kinto'un?"Pan put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, taking a position which showed that the answer was obvious. "Since I came here to train with you two I didn't want to waste any energy by flying."  
"Ah, of course."  
"Do you think she can keep up with us?" asked Uub with a smile as he approached.  
"Of course I can! I don't bear the Son family name for nothing!" the young girl countered, then turning to her grandfather. "Grandpa, I saw Uub using the Kaioken! When are you going to teach it to me?"  
"You don't need it, Pan, I've told you before. I only taught Uub because he can't turn into a Super Saiyan."  
"But neither can I!" Pan said, clearly whining.  
"Of course you can," replied Goku. "You just need to put in some more effort to get there."  
"But... With the Kaioken I wouldn't need—"  
"Okay, okay," Goku interrupted, trying to change the subject, "we'll see later. For now let's take it slow with a small energy increase."  
"But we just did that!" Uub interjected.  
"I don’t need to do that!" Pan said in agreement.  
"Don't be silly," said Goku. "We'll train seriously, don't worry about that, but for now let's start with a little run."  
"Okay..." sighed Pan and Uub simultaneously.  
They were ready to follow Goku's lead when he suddenly stood up and began scanning the sky. He’d felt something approaching their location, and it didn't take long before they saw what had puzzled Goku. A strange little robot was flying straight in their direction.

"What is it?" asked Uub.  
"It looks kind of like one of Bulma's machines," Goku replied curiously.  
The robot, which looked like a rocket propelled sphere with very short legs and one eye, came to a stop in front of the puzzled Earthlings. The craft emitted a low metallic sound and began to whistle like an old television. The single eye suddenly began to shine, and a hologram image displayed between Goku and the robot—the image of a Namekian.  
"Mr. Piccolo?" Uub said in confusion, surprised by the image.  
"No, it’s not him,” Goku said, suddenly serious.  
"Warriors of the Earth," began the Namekian, "you three have been chosen, based on the qualification that you are among the strongest fighters in this universe. Each of you are hereby invited to participate in the grandest martial arts tournament ever to be imagined."  
"A tournament?" said Pan, obviously very interested in the idea.  
"I wonder..." began Goku, before the Namekian continued.  
"We look forward to greeting you in person at the palace of Kami-Sama."  
When he finished, the hologram blurred before revealing the image of Piccolo.  
"It's a long story," Piccolo said through the device, "but this is apparently no joke. I knew you’d be all over something like this, Goku, so I allowed them to contact you. Make your way here and we’ll discuss everything..."  
The image disappeared, and the robot left as quickly as it came.  
"Was that message intended for only the three of us?" asked Uub.  
"I don't think so," replied Goku, turning to his two disciples. "He mentioned the strongest fighters in the universe. Surely that means he’ll contact Vegeta and Gohan too."  
"This is serious, isn't it?" asked Uub.  
"We’ll see. We shouldn't waste any time though. Hold onto me for instant transmission, and we'll pick up Gohan and the Briefs family along the way."  
Uub placed a hand on Goku's shoulder while Pan clung onto his belt. Goku placed two fingers on his forehead and sought out Ki from the location of his son's house. He immediately felt Videl’s ki signature and instantly beamed to that location, taking Uub and Pan with him. It took Goku only a minute to realize why he didn't feel the Ki of his son, which was easily a thousand times stronger than that of his wife. Gohan was away...  
"He's at work, as usual," Videl said, after Goku quickly explained the situation.  
"Well we just have to pick him up then, right, Grandpa!"  
"Wait!" said Videl. "I want to come with you."  
"Sure, come along!" said Goku. "I can feel Gohan's energy now, and he's on the move... Wow, even though he hasn’t been training, Gohan's speed is impressive. He’s something else."  
"And Vegeta?" asked Pan.  
A smile quickly spread across Goku's face. "You know, I have a feeling something like this will be right up his alley. We should get Goten and Trunks, while we're at it. They're both at home."  
Pan sparkled with joy.  
"Yes! It's been a while since I've seen Grandma! Hey! Should we get Grandpa Satan, too?"  
"Well, I'm sure Buu got the message too. We'll probably run into him at the lookout. Alright guys, hang on!"  
This time with Videl, Goku teleported everyone to Chi-Chi’s. There, they found Goten and Trunks, the latter of which was visiting in order to avoid boredom at the Capsule Corporation. Goku briefly explained what little he knew about the situation to the two young fighters. He then asked everyone, along with Chi-Chi, who insisted on coming along, to hold onto him. With a quick flash he then teleported everyone to Dende’s palace.  
Unbeknownst to everyone, a small spherical robot appeared at the house of Goku only minutes later to bring the message to Goten and Trunks. The robot would return empty-handed...It was essential to Vegeta that he train each morning at the crack of dawn, though the Brief’s house could attest he was usually up well before that. Over a decade ago, when he’d first come to Earth, he’d trained inside a vessel his father-in-law had built, one which could simulate artificial gravity much stronger than normal. Following his many battles on Earth, particularly against Goku, he eventually requested something entirely different. His objective was both to push himself further than ever before and also to mask his progress from the other Saiyan. In fact, Vegeta wanted to be cut off from any and all distractions of the Earth—not being able to sense others was a price he was glad to pay for his own privacy.  
After several months of planning and a good deal of trial and error, Dr. Briefs finally came to Vegeta with his schematics. According to his design, he would create a secret room under the Capsule Corporation as the prince’s new training facility. While the convenience and dramatically improved gravity settings were undoubtedly pleasing to Vegeta, he was quite disappointed to learn that the technology to hide his Ki did not yet exist in this world...  
Unwilling to accept that hinderance, Vegeta even went to Dende’s lookout and inquired about the dragonballs—his wish being to ask for the technology to shield his Ki signature. However, Piccolo and Dende flatly refused his request, claiming it would be a grievous misuse of Shenron’s power. While this angered the prince, the Earth’s guardian made amends by offering him use of the Room of Spirit and Time as often as he liked. The other-dimensional training ground had been rebuilt to allow guests to remain inside for a longer period of time. Since that time, Vegeta had developed a habit of alternating between his new training room under Capsule Corp and the Room of Spirit and Time.  
On this particular day, however, Vegeta was unable to make it up to Dende’s lookout—despite the demands of his rigorous training schedule. His wife and daughter planned on going shopping and had informed him that he HAD to accompany them—something even he simply couldn’t get out of...  
Drenched in sweat, he found himself face to face with his wife, Bulma, whose hands were firmly placed on her hips.  
"Vegeta!" Bulma screamed, inches from his face. “You're late!"  
"Ptch!” he grumbled. “Bulma, at least let me get in my morning workout!"  
"We said we we're leaving at eight o'clock!" replied his agitated wife.  
“It's not even eight yet!" came the Prince of Saiyans retort.  
Bulma’s face remained stern as ever. "You've got ten minutes, mister" she stated. "Do us all a favor, take a shower and find some decent clothes to wear. You being a prince know as well as anyone that public appearance is important."Vegeta softly grinned and headed towards the bathroom.  
‘Tch. What a pain in the ass,’ the warrior thought.  
Behind Vegeta, eyeing his exit, Bulma smiled to herself before turning. ‘Hmph,’ she thought, biting her lip. ‘I’ve got to but that man some sexy jeans today...’  
Twenty minutes later, Vegeta walked out of the Capsule Corp building dressed quite elegantly. He could be more than presentable when he cleaned up, wearing nice dress shoes and pants with a formal jacket covering his shirt. Before him stood his wife and his daughter, Bra, who were obviously at the forefront of fashion.  
Without saying a word, Bulma came up and gripped the arm of her husband, who blushed with slight embarrassment. The trio began to leave their family home when Vegeta suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He had an odd feeling, as if he was being watched. Just then, a flying spherical robot with short metal legs appeared about two meters in front of him. He wondered at first if it was one of his wife’s many side projects, but the unfamiliar design made it apparent that this was not the case.  
The little robot silently landed on the ground in front of him and played the same holographic message that his rival had received roughly two minutes earlier from the Varga and Piccolo.  
After the message concluded, the robot lifted off into the air again, flying towards the palace. The smug smile that had gradually begun to appear on Vegeta’s face, having been invited to fight in a “glorious tournament”, had reached it’s peak. The prince turned to his wife with an excited smirk. “Well, too bad...” he said, doing his best to suppress his enthusiasm. “I had so looked forward to our day of shopping...”  
While the effort didn’t go unappreciated, there was no way he was going to fool his wife and daughter. “I’m sorry, girls. Bulma, Bra, it seems something important has come up...”But his wife wouldn’t have a bit of it. “Oh no you don’t!” she exclaimed. “You promised that the three of us would go shopping, and that’s what we’re gonna do!”  
Women and their bickering had always nagged at Vegeta, but he’d learned to go with the quirks. Bulma, in particular, was worth it. But this was an occasion when he refused to yield. “We can go shopping another time, it’s not like you’re missing some big sale. Right now I have to go to the lookout, this can’t wait.”  
Bra, who knew her father all too well, was fully aware that this time it would be useless to try and change his mind. "Okay," she said with a smile, "then we'll all go to the palace together in the plane!"  
Vegeta sensed the trap coming a mile away. "Hah! So you can trick me into going where YOU want to go?" he laughed. "Nice try, but I'll make better time going there on my own."  
The Prince immediately lifted into the sky and blasted off in the direction of the palace, leaving the two women behind fuming with anger. Unphased, Vegeta smiled to himself as he flew through the air. "A tournament? Finally, something worth my time!"  
Renewed with excitement, Vegeta accelerated, even transforming into a Super Saiyan to multiply his speed. In his haste he didn’t notice the little spherical robot in his path, and grazed it as he rushed by, knocking it distressfully to the ground.

At the palace, Piccolo stood motionlessly in thought, arms crossed and eyes closed. ‘What could possibly be the purpose of such a tournament?’ he thought to himself, a question that had been on his mind ever since he received the information.  
Piccolo suddenly opened his eyes and uncrossed his arms. A familiar Ki was quickly approaching the palace. After only a few seconds, Gohan appeared, scaling the altitude of the lookout at an astonishing rate of speed. He halted about ten feet above the tiled surface, letting down the white aura that surrounded him. The Saiyan-Human hybrid quickly inspected the palace by scanning the mysterious ship, the Namekians, and the bizarre bird-like aliens. Next he spotted Piccolo and Dende, and dropped a couple of feet in front of them before walking in their direction.  
"Hey, guys!" he said to his two old friends.  
Dende was visibly pleased to see the man. "Gohan!" he exclaimed, "It's been too long since you've paid us a visit!"  
"I know, Dende," Gohan replied with an honest smile. "Sorry, I've been busy at the university lately, but the holidays just started so I should have a little more free time.""You made it here pretty quickly, Gohan," congratulated Piccolo.  
Gohan modestly began scratching the back of his head. "Yeah," he replied, "but my speed is probably the only thing I've retained since I stopped training."  
Piccolo was a bit surprised. "Speaking of training, seeing you like this sure brings back memories," he said with a little smile.  
"Oh, it's probably because of these." Gohan removed his glasses from his shirt pocket and put them on. "I put them in my pocket so I wouldn't lose them on the way here."  
"Hmm... They definitely add age to your appearance," replied Piccolo.  
Dende's attention suddenly shifted. "Vegeta's here..."

Arriving in the same way as Gohan, the Prince of Saiyans landed in front of trio nearly without slowing down, creating a blast of air which forced Dende to shield his eyes. With obvious arrogance, Vegeta asked directly if Goku had arrived yet, a question that seemed apparent.  
"He'll be here soon," replied Piccolo. "Don't worry."  
Vegeta replied with an arrogant smile. "Hmph, as if I would be worried about that low-level clown!"  
"Hey, Piccolo," said Gohan, skillfully changing the subject. "What do you think about our visitors?"  
Vegeta, who was interested in the question, crossed his arms and waited to hear Piccolo's answer.  
"Nameks are Nameks," said Piccolo. "They can always be trusted. These Vargas... seem honest at least. I don't sense any hostility from them. They claim to be from another universe..."  
"Is that even possible?" asked Vegeta skeptically.  
"Theoretically not," replied Gohan pensively. "But time travel is not theoretically possible, either, even though we know firsthand that it is. They must have had one hell of a technological advance for that to be possible... Going from one universe to another must use a lot of energy."  
Gohan turned and examined the Vargas and their ship. "I wonder if they would let me study that..."  
Suddenly, a group of seven people appeared out of nowhere next to the quartet, to which Vegeta immediately reacted. "Trunks!" said Vegeta with obvious annoyance. "Where the hell have you been? I looked all around the Capsule Corp for you today!"  
Trunks nervously turned to Goten, seeking any form of support from his friend.  
Videl approached Gohan and lovingly straightened out his shirt, which the flight had crumpled, and Chichi took the time to reprimand Goten's lack of formality. Uub looked all around him at the group of warriors in fascination. Vegeta, on the other hand, spoke menacingly to Goku.  
"Kakarotto! What took you so long? You've made us wait!"  
"Sorry, Vegeta..." Goku replied with a smile on his face.  
"You're awfully slow for someone who can teleport..." said Vegeta.  
"I had to pick everyone up first," replied Goku, who did not manage to change Vegeta's bad mood.  
"Couldn't they have just flown here themselves?"  
"If you were this anxious, Vegeta, why didn't you come find me instead?"  
"Here we go again..." mumbled Piccolo to himself.  
"Great idea!" said Vegeta. "Next time I'll come grab you by the skin on your ass!"  
"Oh sure! Give it your best shot!" countered Goku with a pleasured smile on his face, taking a stance.  
Vegeta's eyes jubilantly lit up. "What an excellent idea, Kakarotto!"  
Vegeta then also took a guarded stance, much to the worry of the Nameks and Vargas. Embarrassed at the situation, Chichi intervened. "Goku!" She said, staring at her husband intensely.  
Goku suddenly became tense as his smile was erased from his face.  
"Oh, uh... Chi-" Goku began.  
"Don’t make a fuss!" Chichi said cutting Goku off. "Do you think you're in a school playground or something? When will you grow up?"  
Goku did not know what to say. It was true that for a fight against Vegeta, pleasure tended to prevail over reason. "Uh..."  
Suddenly, a strange, thundering noise was heard for several seconds. The Vargas, fearing a storm, began scanning the bright blue sky. The group of Earthlings, however, knew exactly what the noise was, and they all turned their eyes to Goku.  
"Ha ha, it's just my stomach, guys!" said Goku. "I left in a hurry and forgot to eat.  
While Vegeta and Chichi scoffed with an air of boredom, Uub was perplexed. "But we had breakfast just before we started training..."  
"But that was two hours ago!" said Goku. "All of that training raised my appetite. Where's Mr. Popo? Oh! I'm sure he's already preparing all of my favorite dishes! Mr. Popo! Helloooo?"  
Everyone remained silent as Goku ran inside of the palace to the kitchen. Trunks then attempted to break the silence. "So, uh, Dad," he said. "Where're Mom and Bra? They didn't want to come?"  
"I think they're coming by plane," replied Vegeta without even looking.  
A small Varga suddenly approached the group timidly. "Um... Excuse us..." the Varga began.  
"Don't worry," Piccolo said. "He'll return soon. When Son Goku gets hungry, it's impossible to take his mind off of food. But you can join us if you'd like. We can discuss the details of this tournament over a bite to eat." A sudden thought tore a giant smile into Piccolo's face. "Of course, with all of these Saiyans around the food might not last that long."  
The Varga returned to his group and informed the others that their stay might last longer than expected...

Mr. Popo finished preparing all of the food and lined up the dishes on his floating magic carpet, which was being used as a long makeshift table. Bulma and Bra soon arrived at the palace.  
Bulma, much like Gohan, was fascinated by the Vargas and their technology, while Bra thought that the aliens were cute due to their small size and fashion sense. She even went as far as to pet one of the creatures, causing him to "purr" before quickly distancing himself, looking rather embarrassed.

During the meal, only Goku and Pan, who was fond of imitating her grandfather, gorged themselves with food. The others instead focused their attention on the Vargas, who were seated at the end of the carpet, while they further explained the aspects of the tournament.So as you know," the Varga began, "we came from a universe entirely different than the one you know. The Nameks who came here with us are also from our universe."  
One of the Namekians advanced slightly and reached out. He held in his hand a thin circular object, which became slightly warm and caused the air above it to behave in strange ways. Images began to appear above the object, which instantly sparked Bulma's curiosity.  
"A hologram?" she asked.  
"Yes, it appears to be," replied Gohan.  
"You exist within a multiverse," the Varga continued, "which is to say, multiple universes. They are all similar, with many of the same causes and effects. However, one single event that happens differently in one universe will cause it to diverge from the others. For example, in one universe, the sky of your planet could be red, and in another universe it could have been conquered by aliens."  
The Varga was cut off by the noisy eating sounds emitting from Goku and Pan. The two noticed that the room had suddenly gone quiet and looked up at everyone, with noodles hanging out of their mouths. Knowing they stopped talking because of the noise they were making, Goku and Pan quickly slurped up the rest of the noodles and gave the speakers their attention.  
"Yes... As I was saying," the Varga continued, "another example is our universe. In our universe, and ours only, the Vargas inadvertently discovered technology that allowed us to travel from one universe to another. The gods decided that the universes should remain closed, but they allowed us to organize one unique event..."  
"Hey, that's the Supreme Kaioshin!" Goku exclaimed suddenly, noticing the purple-skinned god on the hologram.  
"We allied ourselves with the Nameks of our universe," said the Varga, ignoring Goku's comment, "to organize a tournament between the strongest warriors of all the different universes. The winner of the tournament will get three wishes from the eternal dragon of Namek."  
"The Dragon Balls of the other universes will be used to resurrect anyone who dies in the tournament," said the Namekian with the hologram. "And aside from the winning prize, the warriors of the tournament should find much excitement in the prospect fighting all of the powerful opponents."  
"The tournament is unique and completely safe," continued the Varga. "Our question is: would you like to participate?"  
The group around the table began to talk amongst themselves, and didn't quite know if they trusted the story or not. Vegeta, who remained silent, found it a little hard to concentrate with all of the different conversations happening around him. Goku finally cut in.  
"This is a great opportunity! Uub will be able to test his powers without any risk. There're too many restrictions here."  
"I don't trust this multiverse story at all," said Vegeta, "but there's no way you're going to enter a tournament without me, Kakarotto! I have a few surprises in store for you."  
"Um... We have a question." said Trunks and Goten simultaneously.  
Can we fight as a team?" asked Trunks.  
"No," replied the eldest Namekian. "Fights are one against one. You lose if you cannot fight for thirty seconds or if you forfeit. Weapons are allowed as long you enter the ring with them. Once you enter the ring no outside force is allowed to help you. We will detail the finer rules later. "  
Trunks and Goten both smiled contently.  
"That's fine by us!" said Goten.  
"We register Gotenks," said Trunks. "He is among us, but you can't see him, and we’ll come along as spectators. Is that okay?"  
"Yes," replied the Namekian, "spectators are greatly encouraged, and anyone is allowed to participate. One person even enrolled their unborn son. We don't care if you create this Gotenks just before the fight."  
"Then I'll come as a spectator also," said Piccolo.  
"Me too!" said Gohan without hesitation.  
"You are the eighteenth universe to participate," said the elder Namekian. "This will be the number registered to your universe."  
Without delay Vegeta instantly stood up. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he exclaimed. "Let's go!"  
"I can't wait to get there!" said Pan excitedly.  
"I'll stay here," said Chichi. "I find this tournament idea ridiculous. Gohan, surely you're not gonna let my granddaughter participate?"  
Gohan shot a glance at Videl, leaving the decision up to her.  
"Well..." said Videl. "It could be beneficial to her..."Chichi crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and turned away pouting.  
Trunks looked to Goten. "It looks like we have to start practicing fusion again."  
"This is gonna be amazing!" Goten replied with evident eagerness.  
"Gohan," said Goku, "are you sure you don't want to enter the tournament?"  
"Yeah," replied Gohan. "I've stopped training for too long and haven't been in a fight in years."  
"But with your power alone you could probably go far in the tournament," said the young Uub.  
"Forget it!" Vegeta intervened. "Gohan is worthless. I could beat him with my eyes closed!"  
The remark made Gohan smile. "If it makes you happy to think so, Vegeta."  
Vegeta also smiled, remembering a time nine years ago...Nine years earlier, at the Palace of Kami-Sama...  
Piccolo and Dende stood atop the Lookout, speaking with one another as they often did. This particular day, they would soon be joined by company, as they felt three familiar Ki signatures quickly approaching the palace. It was none other than Goku and Uub, as usual, as well as Goku's granddaughter Pan. Upon their arrival, the young girl appeared visibly excited to have been traveling with her grandfather. As for Uub, finding himself at such a sacred and holy place made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. Goku smiled as he turned to the two Namekians.  
"So Vegeta isn't here yet?"  
"No, you three are the first," replied Piccolo with a smile on his face. "Do you really intend to fight him again?"  
"Well, I hope so..." Goku replied, a distinct gleam in his eye.  
"Hello!" Pan exclaimed as she landed near the two Namekians.  
Piccolo and Dende, pleasantly surprised by the upbeat politeness of the child, replied almost timidly. Uub greeted them in a soft and respectful voice, bowing religiously. He was quite nervous to be face-to-face with the god of Earth.  
"Hello, Kami-sama... Hello, Mr. Piccolo," Uub spoke, bowing timidly.  
The new younger generation seemed to ingratiate their elders with great respect... Which was a far-cry from how it had been in Goku's youth. But in his mind friends were never far apart, and if they saw each other regularly there was no point in formality. He'd always failed to see the point in such trivial greetings!  
Dende faced the two young warriors-to-be. "Are you two also fighting?" he asked.  
"N-no!" Uub replied hastily, adding a hint of panic in his voice. "I'm just here to watch."  
"Yeah, me too!" said Pan, jumping lightly into the air with excitement. "I'm really looking forward to this!"  
A figure suddenly appeared, descending from the heavens... then, the proud Saiyan prince landed on the surface of the lookout; he headed immediately towards Goku.  
"Are you ready to lose?" sneered Vegeta.  
"Yeah right! That would be one hell of a surprise!" replied Goku. "So are you ready?"  
"Not yet," Vegeta answered, crossing his arms. "I would prefer your son be here for this."  
"My son? You mean Gohan?"  
"Obviously, Kakarotto!" Vegeta growled irritably.  
"But, what for?""Do NOT argue with me! Just teleport and bring him here; I'll be waiting!"  
"Sheesh... Alright, Vegeta," replied Earth-raised hero. "I'll see what I can do..."  
Goku then placed two fingers on his forehead and disappeared... He returned a few minutes later accompanied by his eldest son Gohan, dressed in work clothes.  
"Daddy!" exclaimed Pan, who was always delighted to see her father.

"Pan?" Gohan greeted her, surprised his little girl was at the palace. "You're here too?"  
"The Room of Spirit and Time might not function correctly with five people," Piccolo noted aloud.  
"Yeah I know, but don't worry about it," replied Goku.  
Without hesitation, Vegeta walked swiftly past the group and into the special room, much to the unease of Gohan.  
"What? Vegeta? Why are you here?!" exclaimed Gohan.  
"I actually prefer it when they don't have an audience," said Dende. "When they fight in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, at least their fights only lasts a few seconds to us."  
Piccolo was surprised at the remark. "What difference does it make?" he asked.  
"It's just, their power is so great that I'm always afraid they'll accidentally destroy the room," Dende said.  
"It is possible," the other Namek mused. "But I'm sure we can trust them," he continued. "Besides, Gohan is going in with them this time. I'm sure he wouldn't let anything like that happen."

Eleven year old Uub and five year old Pan were amazed at what was taking place before them. Two of the greatest warriors in the universe, Goku and Vegeta, were fighting in front of their very eyes at Super Saiyan level two. Uub had known Goku was powerful since the first time they'd fought at the Budokai, but he had never seen him display this level of power.'How could Goku-Sensei possibly expect me to become his replacement?' he wondered to himself.  
Standing beside the apprentice, Pan was equally excited. She'd always loved fighting, and often thought back to her first time in the Budokai. The golden auras, the fire balls, and the roar of the strikes amused her greatly. The adorable youth raised her fists in the air triumphantly and jumped about, encouraging her grandfather to do his best. Gohan, the last of the spectators, sat quietly on the entrance steps watching the fight. He now understood why Goku and Vegeta had asked for the Room of Spirit and Time to be improved. It was because the Earth had suffered great damage from Goku and Vegeta's battle years ago.  
"They've improved a lot," Gohan said to himself. "Very impressive."  
Their fight lasted for quite a long time, as any true rival battle should. After a extremely intense clash, Vegeta slowly began to gain the upper-hand, delivering more blows than he took. The other Saiyan was beginning to show signs of wear, losing his energy, and the Saiyan Prince even blocked an energy attack from Goku without flinching.  
"Vegeta's energy is really impressive," Gohan observed. "But if Dad loses, it's only because..."  
Vegeta powered down to Super Saiyan level one and stared angrily into Goku's eyes. "Stop patronizing me, Kakarotto! You're obviously holding back!"  
"Huh? Oh, right, well I could go to Super Saiyan three, I guess," the other Saiyan replied. "But the last time I did, our fight ended way too quickly." Goku chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "It just wasn't interesting or fun, to be honest. Besides, after all of this time, shouldn't you be able to transform into Super Saiyan three yourself?"  
Vegeta's clothes were torn and scorched from the battle, yet he folded his arms across his chest. "TCH! Level three is useless, Kakarotto. I intend to do much better. But if you continue holding back against me, I won't be able to!!!"  
"What could be better than having super-long hair and no eyebrows?" Goku laughed humorously.  
"Isn't it obvious?" the prince mused. "Super Saiyan three devours energy too rapidly, surely you've noticed. It may be powerful, but its time limit demands a price I'm unwilling to pay. I WILL find a better solution!"  
Goku raised an eyebrow skeptically. "But, to surpass level three wouldn't you have to master it first?"  
"Perhaps," replied Vegeta. "But it just so happens there is a person in this very room who's even stronger than level three... And he doesn't need a single transformation."There was a brief pause while Goku turned towards his eldest son. Uub and Pan, who were on either side of the half-Saiyan, began to look at him as well. The warrior-turned-scholar seemed somewhat unsettled by himself being mentioned, and he felt equally uneasy from Vegeta's gaze.  
"That door is our one and only way out of this place, Gohan," Vegeta announced suddenly, raising his arm in the half-Saiyan's direction. "You had better protect it, understand!?"  
"Vegeta, wait! What are you doing!?" Goku interrupted, even as Vegeta continued to accumulate more power.  
Ignoring the protest, Vegeta ascended to Super Saiyan level two and continued forming a sphere of crackling energy in his hand.  
"Pan!" Gohan shouted quickly. "Get out of the way, fast!"  
For the first time in her life, Pan caught a glimpse of the fearsome side of her father that she'd always heard about, but had never seen.  
"Big... Bang..." Vegeta began.  
"Gohan!" Goku yelled.  
"Attack... !" Vegeta roared.  
The blue sphere slammed directly into the hands of Gohan, who yelled out as it struck, surrounding himself with a near translucent white aura. The scientist would have been knocked back by the sheer power of the blast, but he braced with his entire body in midair, levitating intensely. Nonetheless, his glasses shattered and his white button-up ripped apart around his body.   
The ground rumbled deep beneath the white surface as the shock wave of the blast circled around the seemingly endless room, and an explosion of light blinded all in the area. In spite of the massive amount of power concentrated into the blast, Gohan had effectively stopped it on an instant's notice. Apart from two mere yards of rubble left in the blast's wake, there was no damage; there was only the faint white smoke that rose off of Gohan's unscathed hands. The retired warrior had not been damaged in the slightest by the attack; there was neither blood nor even the slightest scratch anywhere on him."You see, Kakarotto? That is exactly the kind of power I'm talking about," an exhausted Vegeta said, letting his hair slowly fade back to black.  
"Vegeta!" Gohan roared through gritted teeth. "You...You...!!" The man couldn't even find the right words. He was equally astonished as he was filled with unbridled rage towards the reckless Saiyan Prince. "So THIS is why you practically dragged me here!?" he growled.  
"Don't be such a baby," Vegeta replied, ignoring the question. "Piccolo will be able to fix your clothing when we return. And as for your girl, she's perfectly fine, you yourself saw to that." Vegeta approached and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder, much to the surprise of the half-Saiyan. He allowed a small grin. "Besides, I've dreamed of doing that for more than ten years," the prince chuckled. "Don't be too angry with me, hehe."  
Goku finally spoke again, breaking the tension as he walked towards the other two. "But, Vegeta, Gohan has the power of the gods in him. His strength has nothing to do with train—"  
"You and I are finished," Vegeta announced, cutting Goku off. "No more of this sparring. It seems I will never find a stronger opponent, so I will just have to find the answers by myself."

Once they'd returned to the lookout, Vegeta lifted into the air to fly off, but was interrupted. Gohan hurried after him, running past Piccolo and Dende, both surprised to see Gohan in rags.  
"Wait, Vegeta!" Gohan yelled. "Why!? Why did you do all this? Sometimes I think I'll never understand what's going on inside that head of yours!"  
Vegeta turned and stared at Gohan dumbly, as if the answer was obvious.  
"You work to expand your mind, to discover why atoms go bling and blong and what not, isn't that right?" replied Vegeta. "Well, I work to push my limits, the find and exceed new heights, to be the greatest Saiyan warrior alive. Do you understand?"  
Vegeta turned to leave when Gohan suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder, stunning the prince. Vegeta turned back towards the son of Kakarotto, whose facial expression had hardened dramatically.

"Vegeta," Gohan said, calmly but firmly. "If you ever do that around my daughter again... I'll kill you..."  
"Noted," replied the prince with a smile.  
Vegeta then vanished in a quick flash of light. Gohan watched him disappear, calmed himself, then turned around. "Bling...and blong?" he murmured quizzically.  
"Dad!" Pan shouted, appearing behind her father and grabbing his arm. "I didn't know you were so strong!""Hi, Pan... You're not hurt are you?" asked Gohan, his concern obvious.  
"No way!" she replied. "You stopped the whole blast! I'm fine!"  
Pan was really proud of her father, now seemingly more than ever before. Her broad smile and admiring eyes spoke volumes about what she thought of him. Goku and Uub then arrived out of the palace and joined Gohan and Pan.  
"Son Gohan... What incredible power!" exclaimed Uub. "I've never seen you in combat before!"  
"Yeah, Gohan doesn't really enjoy fighting," said Goku. "I'm proud of how strong he is, but he hasn't really trained since the fight with Cell... It's kind of a shame, actually."  
"Is he... Stronger than you?" Uub asked.  
"Well," Goku shrugged, "he was ten years ago, that's for sure. Since then, Vegeta and I have trained extensively every day. Uub, even you haven't seen my true power yet--nor have you seen Gohan's... But I can see you becoming as strong as him someday!"  
"Really? But..." Uub began. "When I see how strong the three of you are, I just can't see how I—"  
"You have to trust in yourself and your power, Uub," Goku replied. "In ten years you could become stronger than all of us!"  
Uub didn't have as much confidence in himself as his sensei did, but he vowed to try his hardest to become stronger.  
"Come here, Gohan," said Piccolo. "I'll fix up your clothes."  
"Thanks, Piccolo," his old student replied.  
"Gohan..." Goku said as he approached his son. "Don't be mad at Vegeta, okay?"  
"I'll try, dad. It just pisses me off that he put Pan in danger."  
"C'mon!" replied Goku. "It was fun and no one got hurt!"  
"Grandpa's right!" said Pan.  
"You were really impressive, Mr. Gohan!" Uub added with encouragement.  
"Right, well..." Gohan murmured. "Let's just forget about it."  
Gohan flew away from the lookout calmly, but the image of Pan in danger still lingered in his mind. "Damn you, Vegeta..." he muttered under his breath.  
Pan, who was (for once) more interested in her father than her grandfather, flew up behind him to fly home together...  
The memory of what had transpired in the Room of Spirit and Time brought a grin to Vegeta's face.  
"There's only one way to find out if you've remained the strongest of us, Gohan!" he chuckled.  
"Sorry, Vegeta, but no way," replied Goku's eldest son, pushing up his glasses with a finger. "I'm not like my father, so there's really no chance of you goading me into a fight with words. I'm fine being a spectator."  
"I really hope I'll be up to Goku-sensei's expectations," Uub said quietly. "And I definitely hope to I'm able to impress Gohan and Vegeta-san."  
Probably out of apprehension, Goku put a reassuring hand on the shoulder of his pupil. "Don't worry, Uub. I'm sure you'll pull through just fine."  
Uub felt blood rush to his cheeks. "I will do my best."  
"And Grandpa Satan?" asked Pan. "He didn't come, so..."  
"Well, you could always go see him yourself and ask," Goku suggested.  
Pan stood up enthusiastically. "Okay! Are you coming with me!?"  
"Sorry, Pan, not this time," Goku answered. "You'll have to go alone I'm afraid. I need to go see someone before we leave for the tournament."  
"Okay, well, I'll see ya!"  
"Pan wait!" Videl cried, already too late. Her daughter had developed a bad habit of rushing off without permission, always hurrying to and fro (to avoid being scolded). She blasted off at full speed toward Satan City, a trail of light dancing through the sky behind her. Normally, Pan might have been bothered that her grandfather didn't want to accompany her, but since she'd get to see her other grandfather too, she was plenty happy.  
Gohan wrapped his arms around Videl's shoulders with a warm and reassuring gesture. "Don't worry, she’ll be back in a few hours. Besides, at that speed I doubt anything would be able to catch her! She's fine..."  
Videl smiled. "I know, but she should still ask for a permission... She's just a little girl, after all."  
"I'll see you all in the morning," Goku waved, announcing his departure. "Don't leave without me!"  
Goku then disappeared so fast that even Uub didn't have time to react. "Oh! Goku-sen... sei..."  
It was obvious to everyone where Pan had picked up her bad habits. Her grandfather had taken off hurriedly, without even bothering to tell them where he was going. How often had Chichi seen him disappear from the house for days or weeks at a time? Oeven years? Over a lifetime of marriage however, Chichi had grown tired of ranting about it. After all, he always returned...eventually; even from the dead.  
Bulma suddenly broke the silence that Goku imposed by his abrupt departure. "Well, I don't think I'm going to go with you guys, but I can at least do something useful. I'm guessing that this tournament won't be a cakewalk... so, I'll make you all some special armor that absorbs minor damage..."  
"Do you mean the same ones you did back before the Cell Games?" asked Vegeta.  
"Of course," replied Bulma. "It'll probably take me all night, but I'd feel better knowing that you guys are well equipped."  
Chichi frowned. "I don't need you taking care of my husband! He has everything he needs at home... Gohan! Be a good son and go get your father some fresh clothes."  
"Sure. I’ll grab them on my way, mom," replied Gohan.  
"Wait, I'll come, too," said Videl.  
"Goten," said Trunks. "We should find a cool deserted place to stay the night! What do you think?"  
"Good idea!" his best friend replied with a nod.  
With that, Gohan, Videl, Trunks, and Goten all flew off in different directions, leaving only Vegeta.  
"And just like that we're alone," said Piccolo.  
Vegeta looked him in the eye. "So what? I could care less, I just can't wait to flatten everyone in this tournament."

Bulma hung herself on Vegeta’s shoulders. "Will you fly me back home, dear?"  
"If you insist..." sighed Vegeta. "And you, Bra?"  
"I'm going to take a capsule and fly to Satan City," his daughter replied.  
"As you wish," Vegeta growled.  
After leaving a capsule plane for her daughter, Bulma was carried away in the arms of her husband. "You know..." Bulma grinned slyly, tightening her grip and snuggling closer to Vegeta. "I intend to enjoy our last night together before you leave...""Idiot!" Replied Vegeta, blushing. "Say it in front of everyone, why don't you...!"

Kame House. For many, including Bra, it was nothing but an isolated island devoid of anything interesting. For others, however, it had long served as a warm paradise and convenient meeting spot. For a lucky few, of course, it was also the house that they call home.  
Living on the small island for the last century or two, Muten Roshi usually spent his time fishing on the back of his turtle, Umigame, or (most frequently) watching scantily-clad women do aerobics on TV; that is, when he wasn't face-first in one of his dirty, suggestive magazines. His behavior hadn't changed at all since he'd first met Goku and Kulilin, not even when the latter had settled in permanently with his wife, #18, twenty-five years ago.  
When Goku had arrived on the island via teleportation, he immediately heard Kulilin and Roshi vying about the same recurring theme they had for decades.

"No, it is not!" Goku's best friend said.  
"You have no right to give me orders, you rascal!" the old Turtle Hermit replied. "I am your master and you owe me some respect!"  
"Oh give me a break, I surpassed you years ago."  
"It doesn't matter! I remain by far the oldest and just for that you owe me respect."  
The old man sat up suddenly when he saw the Saiyan warrior. "Oh! Goku!"  
Kulilin turned, surprised. "Goku?"  
The Saiyan passed through the doorway of Kame House, wearing a wide smile as usual.  
"Hey, guys!" Goku said with a wave of his hand.  
Muten Roshi had sensed his arrival, as a matter of habit. Kulilin, on the other hand, had felt him immediately. Since his marriage, and especially the birth of his daughter, he had maintained a constant attitude of vigilance. He hoped to obtain a better understanding of his environment in order to detect possible dangers.  
Muten Roshi was glad at the sudden arrival though, and didn't hesitate to tease his former pupil. "So, Goku, what brings you here? Stopping by to see if I'm still alive?"  
A broad smile lit up Goku's face. "I've got big news! In a nutshell, I'm going to be participating in a tournament between different universes. Since it reminded me of the old days, I came to see if you're interested, Kulilin."  
His old friend looked at him with interest. "Hmm, sounds mondo cool. I'd like to hear more details first. What is this tournament exactly?"  
"I wanna know, too," said Roshi.  
Not having much choice, Goku explained as best he could what little he knew about the adventure to come.  
Kulilin crossed his arms and thought for a moment.  
"This tournament idea is quite intriguing!" said Muten Roshi. "However, with only the strongest fighters from each universe being selected, the level of fights there could be, heh...well, beyond my level to say the least."  
Kulilin became more serious. "Yeah, I feel the same to be honest. This all sounds way out of my league! It's been a long time since I've trained... But I could still come and support you!"  
A female voice came out of nowhere. "Out of the question."  
Marron had just arrived with her mother. Both looked beautiful, dressed to the latest in fashion, though maybe a little too rebellious in #18's case. Her age never seemed to betray her beauty. Being a cyborg had its advantages.  
"Dad," said Marron. "You promised we would go shopping. You can't leave now!"  
"Ah, I completely forgot."  
Kulilin seemed sorry watching Goku. "I wish I could come... But..."  
Goku laid a compassionate hand on the shoulder of his disappointed friend. "Don't worry, Kulilin. I'll tell you all about it when I get back."  
"I'm sure it'll be at least as intense as the Cell games, don't you think?"  
"There's a good chance!" replied Goku with a smile. "I'm really looking forward to it."  
Goku looked at his hand and made a balled fist gesture of strength before looking Kulilin in the eye. "It reminds me of our very first tournament. Remember?"Kulilin's face lit up. "Of course... How could I forget that? Good times..."  
For hours the two friends happily reflected on their past. Eventually, Goku was invited to eat dinner, and then to sleep over at Kame House. Muten Roshi came to join in on the nostalgic conversation that lasted late into the night...

Miles away from Kame House: Satan City  
Satan City was quite a contrast to the small island where Kame House was located, with numerous skyscrapers overlooking the typical hustle and bustle of city life. Satan City was named twenty-seven years ago after Earth's greatest hero's pseudo victory against the evil Cell. Obviously, only a privileged few knew the real truth, a handful of people that included Buu.  
But now the hero of Earth was retired. He was indeed getting older. In fact, he often complained about back pains. Today was no exception. When Pan arrived at his villa in the heart of the city, he asked to Buu to use one of his tricks to help him.

The little girl threw her arms around her grandfather's neck. She couldn't stop talking. She hurriedly explained to him all of the tournament details, raving about participating in such an event. Satan didn't completely understand the story, and it seemed pretty farfetched. But after all, the stories about the Saiyans seemed equally farfetched, so who was he to judge? Nevertheless, the smile of Pan, as she spoke, was indicative of his feelings. Her beautiful enthusiasm was refreshing to see and hung a big smile under the champion's mustache... A smile that died quickly when she arrived at the true purpose of her visit. A silence settled for a few seconds before her grandfather came to respond. "Aaaarggghh, my back! It's my back again! It's getting worse! Aaaahh... It's impossible... I don't think I can go... What a shame!"  
Pan was taken aback. "But grandpa..."  
Buu put out a hand toward the old man, holding in the other a huge lollipop. "It's okay... I'll take care of you...""You're not gonna come either?" asked Pan.  
Another pause. Buu imagined himself as the winner of the tournament. If he were to win he could have an entire galaxy of candy all to himself. A huge smile filled his face before a voice ended his daydream. "Your delivery has arrived, sir."  
A servant, dressed in all white, entered the room and bowed slightly. "My candy?" asked Buu.  
"Yes sir," confirmed the servant. "Three truckloads of candy."  
Buu's face lit up. "YAY! Yahoo hooo!"  
It seemed evident to Pan that Buu would not enter the tournament. While Buu was going to begin devouring his candy, Pan asked her grandfather if they had not been visited by a small robot.  
"Hmm," Satan reflected. "So that's what that was. We thought it was a new type of camera or spies who wanted to film us. Buu turned it into chocolate and ate it..."  
Certainly Buu has not ceased to amaze the young girl...  
The next morning, Goku was ready to leave. He was thoughtfully staring into the vastness of the ocean when Kulilin, along with #18, joined him to offer one last bit of encouragement before he took off.  
"So there's a reward?" asked #18.  
"Yeah. I think it's a wish through the Namekian Dragon Balls..." replied the Saiyan.  
Kulilin threw a surprised look to his wife. "Would you be interested?"  
Smiling, she turned away closing her eyes. "I have everything I need, right here."  
She gently dropped a kiss on the cheek of her husband before returning home, leaving behind a small man whose modesty had scarlet red cheeks ablaze.  
With a big smile, Goku placed two fingers on his forehead, looking at his friend. "See ya..."Kulilin smiled, raising a thumbs-up to his friend. "I trust you... You'll win!"  
The image of Goku's wide smile of confidence warmed the heart of Kulilin as his friend disappeared in an instant.

It was about ten o'clock in the morning when the serenity of the sanctuary of Dende, Kami-sama of the Earth, was broken. Gohan and Videl had arrived a few minutes earlier, flying slowly. The scientist half-Saiyan was carrying a suitcase containing clothes for him, his brother Goten, and their father.  
Dende welcomed them and they talked quietly, walking a bit while they waited.  
The arrival of Vegeta and Bulma together was surprising... The Prince of Saiyans had been driven by his wife to the Lookout, and the Prince almost never traveled by airplane.  
Vegeta was the first to exit the aircraft, his arms crossed idly. Bulma appeared immediately after, cursing him... A small silver suitcase in hand.  
"Vegeta! Need I remind you that YOU have to take it? I will not be your luggage-carrier!"  
"I don't need it!" growled the Prince of Saiyans.  
"Vegeta!" barked the blue-haired woman.  
Vegeta grunted and proudly displayed his most annoyed facial expression. "Fine, give me that!"  
The dispute had publicly embarrassed him, and he knew Bulma was stubborn... He grabbed the suitcase containing the capsules that Bulma had prepared with a sudden gesture that startled Bulma. Vegeta moved at a brisk pace toward the son of his greatest rival.  
"Gohan," said Vegeta. "I have a mission for you."  
"Uh, okay." Gohan was a little surprised. "What is it?"  
"Here, you're in charge of this," ordered Vegeta, handing the suitcase over to Gohan.  
"Vegeta!" yelled Bulma from further behind. "What do you think you're doing?"  
"Kakarott's brat isn't even participating," replied Vegeta turning to his wife, calmer than before. "He might as well make himself useful."  
"VE - GE - TA!"  
Gohan ran his hand through the handle of the suitcase to take it. "It's okay, Bulma. I don't mind..."Bulma was annoyed. "But Gohan..."  
"You always were too nice for your own good," Piccolo said from behind his former pupil.  
Gohan replied simply with a smile and a raised eyebrow in acceptance. Desiring to change the subject, Vegeta muttered aloud. "And as usual, Trunks has no interest in being punctual!"  
Piccolo answered almost ironically with a deep voice. "Actually he and Goten arrived quite a while ago! They went to take a shower..."  
"Oh?" Said Bulma surprised. "For once he's up before his father?"  
"Well he certainly wasn't up half the night having—"  
Vegeta suddenly stopped himself, realizing that the explanation for his late awakening was likely to be embarrassing... He quickly concluded after a light groan. "Nevermind."  
"The Vargas are here..." informed Piccolo, raising eyes as his short antennae quivered.  
All of the warriors heads rose together to watch as the ship of Vargas and Namekians came in for a landing...The approaching ship came in for a landing at the palace and instantly settled in front of the group of warriors. Goku arrived by teleportation seemingly just as the ship came to a halt, and at that same moment Uub appeared out of the palace, where he'd spent the previous night.  
An almost gentle, metallic buzzing sound could be heard as the airlock of the futuristic spaceship was released. Just then, a large, circular, levitating plate appeared from the hull and began to descend from the ship. On the plate stood a group of Namekians and Vargas, touching down on the lookout just in front of the Z fighters.  
Goku and his student had just joined the rest of the group when a small airplane came into sight above the palace, which circled a bit before landing close to Bulma. Bra then emerged from the plane and hastily turned it back into its capsule form. As soon as she joined the group, one of the Vargas began to speak. "Well... Is everyone here?"  
Videl let out a long sigh and turned to her husband. "Pan hasn't arrived yet, Gohan..."  
Instinctively, Gohan looked down at his watch, still holding the suitcase which Vegeta had so graciously imposed on him. Sensing his daughter, he smiled. "Don't worry... She's almost here."  
A large suitcase stood at Gohan's feet, which contained clothes for him, his brother, and his father.  
"Hey, Bulma," Gohan began. "You don't happen to have any empty capsules, do you? I seem to have won the contest for the most luggage..."  
"Well, darn it... Sorry, Gohan, I should have thought to bring some," Bulma grumbled as she turned to her daughter. "Do you have one, sweetie?"  
Bra replied with a sigh, the same exhaustive groan typical of all adolescents when they're asked to do anything. "Yes, mom..."  
Bra had rushed to the palace because she thought she was late. Now she was agitated because she had to sacrifice the precious time she had gained to search for a stupid capsule that her mother could have easily searched for herself...  
Uub was lost in thought and anticipation, even as a hand suddenly fell onto his shoulder. "So, Uub... Are you ready?" Goku asked with a huge smile.  
The startled apprentice nearly jumped. "I-er, I... Think so," the young warrior stammered. "At least, I'm looking forward to the chance to prove myself..."  
As usual, his Saiyan mentor had nothing but reassurance to offer. "Nothing like a good tournament for that. There's no better way to experience the best fights. Some of my favorite fights ever, like my duel against Tenshinhan, happened at the Tenkaichi Budokai..."Goku turned and met eyes with Piccolo. "Same thing with Piccolo. And I've yet to find more excitement than I had at the Cell Games, even against Frieza or Majin Buu."  
"Kakarotto!" the voice of Vegeta suddenly snapped curtly. "Call me crazy, but it sounded like you were suggesting that our own battles weren't--"  
"Oh, no, of course not, Vegeta!" the other Saiyan replied, cutting off the prince. "Our fights are in a league of their own, irreplaceable really. Each time we fight is another chance to get stronger--I'd fight you everyday if I could. You know, come to think of it...I've really missed our battles..."  
Vegeta was obviously satisfied with the answer, smirking quietly before he replied. "Just so you know, at this tournament I intend to prove the gap between our powers is a thing of the past..." he sneered with a gleam in his eye. "Prepare yourself!"  
Gohan stood up suddenly with a pleased look on his face. "Hey! There you are, Pan!"  
Pan had arrived at the rear of Dende's palace. Setting down on the grey tile, she hurried around the main building, picking up speed along the way. As she crossed in front of the main entrance, Trunks and Goten suddenly emerged without warning, causing Pan and Goten to collide headfirst with one another.  
"Ow, that hurt!" Pan cried, having fallen on her knees rubbing her head, one eye closed. "Uncle Goten! Be more careful!  
"What!?" Goten replied, taking a tone with her. "Clearly you were the one who was being reckless! Why were you running so fast anyway?" Although Goten was agitated, he maintained his friendly expression. After all, Pan was his favorite (and only) niece.  
"You know, Goten, she's right," Trunks added with a chuckle. "Despite her speeding, we ran a red light."  
"Huh..?" Goten replied, confused.  
Trunks waited (in vain) for his friend to get the joke. "Eh, maybe I'll come back later with a better joke..."  
A voice caught the attention of the small group, excitedly calling them to hurry. "Hey, kids!" Goku yelled. "Lets go, move it!"  
Goku waved towards the Vargas as he approached the ship."Jeez..." Goten gaunted as the trio joined the rest of the group. "He didn't have to embarrass us in front of everyone, yelling at us like we're still kids!"  
The participants and spectators took their places on the circular levitation plate while those staying behind wished them the best of luck. As the platform, Videl began to inquire about the absence of her father.  
"Your grandfather didn't want to come?" she asked her daughter.  
"No, he's still having problems with his back..."  
Videl gave a small smile, being sure not to tear down her daughter's image of the World Champion. "Ah yes, his back... What a shame..."  
"Attention, everyone," said one of the Nameks. "We will soon be taking off."  
Bulma shouted one last bit of encouragement before the group left. "Good luck! And please be careful..."  
A Namek reassured her with a smile full of warmth. "Don't worry, there’s nothing that the Dragon Balls can’t fix... Besides, there's no reason why anything should go wrong anyway."  
The circular plate buzzed and began to vibrate as it levitated the group into the ship. The plate finally reached the inside of the ship, revealing a single large, white, and almost empty room. The entire group observed their surroundings curiously, but only Goku spoke of his astonishment. "Wow! It's awfully big in here... I bet it's pretty convenient for training on long trips... Sure brings back memories."  
"Well," said one of the Vargas. "We're all here, so we can take off. The rules will be explained on the mother ship."  
Outside, as those staying behind walked away, the ship began to light up and quickly took off into the heavens where the orbiting mothership awaited them. Bulma watched the ship until it could no longer be seen, seeming immediately sad. "Well... Looks like I'm going home... By myself."  
Dende tried his best to comfort her. "Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate to contact you if I hear any news, good or bad."  
Bulma looked at him sympathetically. "Thanks, Dende. I know I can count on you."

Everyone on board felt a slight buzz followed by a strong click. The ship had docked perfectly with the mothership. A Varga invited all of the passengers into the larger ship via the circular levitation platform. Goku and Vegeta were the first ones out, disdaining the nervousness of all the others.Goku, alone with Pan, walked around the large room with curiosity and amusement, while Piccolo and Vegeta, true to themselves, were still on the defensive. As for Uub, he could only mutter a quick "wow", noting with admiration the size of the large dome around their heads, which allowed him to gaze at the vast ocean of stars in space.  
While everyone continued to take in the details of the ship, Goku impatiently asked one of the Vargas how long the trip was going to take, to which the Varga hastened to reassure him. "Not long at all. We will arrive at the tournament universe momentarily. We call it "Universe Zero". It's a place with no organics whatsoever, so there is no chance that the events of the tournament will harm any pre-existing lifeforms. Now, if you could gather your comrades we can enter the next room and discuss the rules of the tournament... And officially record your entries."  
The rest of the passengers, including the other Vargas and the Nameks, turned towards the noisy demonstrations of the enthusiastic Goku with a visible look of disdain.  
Within a few moments, the group of Earth's warriors gathered and followed a small Varga through a long, white corridor. The hallway eventually led to a small and somewhat cramped room, in contrast to the vastness of the rest of the ship. The area contained a number of chairs, all facing a large blue screen filled with black, alien letters.  
Gohan, who was sitting in the third row behind Goten and Trunks, broke the silence. "So... How long until we arrive?"  
"In about ten minutes," replied the Varga. "Our engines will take care of the inter-universal travel while I explain the rules."  
The Varga paused for a moment to allow everyone to get settled. This time allowed the ship's computer to translate the alien letters into a language that the participants of Universe 18 could understand. The Varga began to read, detailing when necessary, and answering any and all questions.  
"How long do we have to enter the ring when we're called to fight?" Trunks asked, who wondered if the time limit would conflict with the amount of time it takes to fuse.  
"Once you are called you have one hundred-twenty seconds to enter the ring," replied the Varga. "If you aren't in the ring by then you'll automatically forfeit."  
"That's more than enough time," whispered Goten to his friend.  
"You are not allowed to fight at any time outside of the official matches," the Varga instructed them. "Also, you cannot receive any kind of external assistance during a fight, but you are allowed to enter the ring with any materials you would like, be it weapons or anything else.""Ch! As if we need weapons," growled Vegeta.  
"Uh," the Varga continued, "as you wish. Now, you lose if you are unable to fight for thirty seconds, or if you are knocked unconscious, immobilized, dead, or are invisible for that same amount of time. Referees must have you in their line of sight at all times, and in this regard, I advise you not to move too close to your universe during a fight to avoid suspicion of cheating. I repeat, any outside help whatsoever is strictly prohibited."  
"Are we allowed to give up during a match?" Uub asked with a raise of his hand.  
"Of course. You are allowed to forfeit a match at any time. You also have no right to attack an opponent who has forfeited. If you do so, it is an automatic disqualification."  
For once, Goku was attentive. "What about the limits of the ring, if any?"  
"There really aren't many... any kind of movements you like are allowed during the matches... though it is recommended that you stay away from the spectators and the other competitors during your fight. You must also consider that if you move too far away from the ring to the point where you can no longer be seen, you will obviously be disqualified. It's best to keep the ring as your central battle zone. You'll all get a better understanding once you see the stadium."  
At this point, the mothership began to roar and vibrate, and continued to do so for about ten seconds. When the tremors stopped, the Varga informed them that they had arrived in Universe Zero.  
"Before departing, I'm going to need the identities of each participant," the Varga said.  
Goku gladly undertook the formality, stating the names of Uub, Vegeta, Gotenks, Pan... and Gohan. The mention of his name startled Gohan, and he immediately protested.  
"W-what? Come on, Dad! You know that's out of the question!"  
Goku didn't let up. "Come on, son, it would do you a lot of good to fight again. You were fantastic against Cell and Majin Buu. I want to see what you're capable of these days."  
"No, I just don't want to," replied Gohan, who turned to the Varga. "I apologize for that. Don't sign me up."  
"No problem," said the Varga. "So let me confirm. We have Goku, Uub, Vegeta, Gotenks, and Pan... Is that correct?"  
Everyone confirmed that the list was accurate.  
"Okay, then we're ready to go."  
The Varga then invited the group into a much larger room filled with huge windows that allowed everyone to see space, the stars, and a huge grayish asteroid surrounded by many colorful moons."I thought there was nothing in this universe," Gohan wondered aloud.  
"That was indeed the case," replied the Varga. "What you see was created by us through our technology. See? We're approaching the stadium."

The mothership quickly approached the enormous stadium in which the tournament would be held. As the ship got closer, the warriors of Earth began to see many different types of star-ships stationed around the arena.  
"If you would like specifics," the Varga began, "the arena is two-thousand feet in diameter and is eight-hundred meters at its highest point, which is at the top of the dome where the referees are located. The ring is that small planetoid that you see in the middle of the arena. It has a diameter that varies slightly in between realities, but roughly speaking, I would say it's about fifty meters."  
"It looks a lot like the planet of King Kaio," said Piccolo.  
"I wonder what its gravity is..." Goku said, who was growing more and more impatient.  
"It is almost ten times that of your planet," answered the Varga. "That is what it takes to compensate for the gravity of the asteroid."'Artificial gravity,' thought Gohan. 'This asteroid is too small to draw us, then.'  
During the approach phase of the mothership, Uub and Pan were amazed at the spectacle before their eyes. Bra, however, did not appear to share their enthusiasm. In fact, she found the design of the arena slightly outdated. As for Piccolo, he immediately recognized Frieza's ship... though he was careful not to make a remark.  
"Is there oxygen?" asked Piccolo.  
"Of course," the Varga replied. "We installed a system of gravity to maintain a breathable atmosphere on the surface. Within the depths of the asteroid, we've developed machines that produce what is necessary to breathe."  
"Can we walk around the surface outside of the arena?" asked Goku, who was still a fan of jogging.  
"Yes of course. If you wish, you can walk anywhere you like."  
"Cool!" Goku replied simply.  
The ship finally landed outside of the stadium. When the engines stopped, a hatch opened up revealing the Varga in charge of Universe 18. The Varga walked out of the ship, followed by the Universe 18 group, who were all busy scanning everything they could see. A tournament in another universe! There was cause for celebration and ecstatic enthusiasm all at once!  
"Universe 18..." said the Varga. "This is where you enter. You are free to wander wherever you want, but please do not quarrel with the other universes. Remember that you only have two minutes to enter the ring when your name is called."  
With that, the group finally approached the stadium. They followed a wide corridor with many doors on either side. Straight ahead of them was the inside of the stadium. Goku would have liked to run, but he managed to hold back.  
"This is where you, the residents of Universe 18, will be living temporarily," the Varga instructed. "There are rooms, beds, even a place to cook food if you need to... And now, finally, this is the combat arena!"  
"Whoa! Fantastic!" exclaimed the Fighters in pure astonishment.  
Goku was finally in his element. From his vantage point, the stadium looked even bigger! The number of spectators was impressive, and easily exceeded ten-million. In addition, it seemed that there were many experienced martial artists present, though they all blended together. In a group of such sheer magnitude it was difficult to pinpoint any one particular Ki, even a Ki close to their vicinity.  
"It's huge!" Videl said to her husband as Uub and Pan ran to the limits of their universe's space."It's too cool!" Pan yelled enthusiastically.  
The Varga began to speak in a slightly more serious tone. "You may potentially meet people that you recognize... some you may even think you know. Just remember, they come from entirely different universes from yours, and may not meet with your expectation... so don't be caught unprepared. I will now leave you be... but one last thing. The tournament could start anytime, from twenty minutes to two days from now. Everything will depend on how long it takes to fill up the remaining universe spaces."  
"And for the draw?" asked Goku again.  
"The matches will be entirely random. An announcement will be made when that happens."  
With that, the Varga left the group. Goku remained thoughtful for a moment. "Twenty minutes or two days... well, I certainly hope it's just twenty minutes!"Piccolo stepped through observantly, taking note of the designated viewing patio in front of each doorway. "So, this space is reserved for us, Universe 18. Looks like most of the other areas have already been filled, which means the tournament should officially start as soon as these last two areas get filled."  
Gohan walked up beside him, pausing. "So then, the seventeen spaces to our left could potentially have all kinds of different--"  
The half-Saiyan cut off midway through his sentence. He'd been the first one to take a closer glance at the groups to their left, and needless to say, he was amazed. "Woah! Look, guys, it's..."  
Goku, who'd walked up beside him, and Vegeta, last out, both turned their heads as well.  
"Cell!"   
Goku seemed just as shocked as his son. The whole idea of alternate universes was quite vague in his mind, and he hadn't really thought through the concept, nor realized what it made possible--until now. There he was, though, right in front of him. Cell stood as smugly and confident as ever.  
"You again," the green creature remarked, seemingly unamused by the added presence of Goku and the others. "Here I am, surrounded by two Gohans...ridiculous," the insect murmured to himself.  
This Cell was visibly identical to his Universe 18 counterpart, as he'd appeared in his perfect form during the Cell Games. He stood directly in the middle of his balcony, arms folded, and had apparently been waiting patiently for his first match to be called. From their vantage point, the Earth's heroes couldn't see the small, blue Cell Jr. standing between his legs, except for Piccolo, who was tall enough to catch a small glimpse.  
"He knows who we are," Piccolo observed quietly. "In his universe, he most likely killed us all, no doubt making him the strongest warrior left."  
"You're probably right," replied Goku. "But I don't think that's what he was talking about. Look!" he continued, pointing to the balcony that was numbered 16. "It's us!"  
Behind Cell, Goku quickly scanned the Universe 16 patio. He saw Gohan, an identical Gohan to the one he knew, speaking with Piccolo, as well as Trunks and Goten cracking jokes with each other. Then there was Videl and even Bra, who was leaning against the ark of their space's door. They all seemed identical to the versions he himself knew.  
"Let's go check out the other universes!" Trunks said excitedly, hopping over the low wall at the edge of Universe 18's patio.  
Goten followed immediately. He caught up with Trunks right away, but the latter had stopped three meters ahead, uttering a quiet "ooh"...  
Trunks had noticed his father... Or rather, an alternate version of his father from Universe 13. Prince Vegeta wore white Saiyan armor with gold epaulettes, a blue tunic, and a red cape, and was accompanied by a larger, more muscular man to his right. The other Saiyan was bald and bore the same type of armor, but was dressed in simple black shorts instead of a blue tunic and wore a sneering glance. Behind him was another man with long black hair reaching down to his lower back. His expression was much the same as the others, as was his armor. The last warrior of the group...was, well, none other than Goku! But his dark eyes spoke volumes about his nature. In fact, this Goku had remained "Kakarotto", the man Goku would have become if he had never hit his head as a child.  
Universe 13's Prince Vegeta had his eyes turned off to the left, and his gaze conveyed his utter disgust. Trunks and Goten wondered what had him so ticked off, and began looking around. There was no one currently in Universe 12, so its inhabitants were probably inside. Over in Universe 11 they noticed Dabra the demon, but he wasn't the focus of Prince Vegeta's rage. The next universe was packed full of warriors--two dozen or so, Saiyans from the look of them, as well as a few Namekians. Universe 9 was empty as well at the moment, though in Universe 8 they saw...Freeza!!  
The Frost Demon was in his final form, but slim, not with the added bulk of his full power. He also wasn't part cyborg. Trunks and Goten had easily recognized him nonetheless; Bulma had shown them a picture of what he looked like. While she was repairing #16 before the Cell Games, she had obtained all of the images within Dr. Gero's robot spy, including images of a cybernetic Freeza.  
Freeza glanced over at the group of four Saiyans wearing a look of vague amusement. There was no doubt that in his universe, he himself had killed Vegeta.  
"There are so many bad guys here that our dads fought in the past," Trunks said, his eyes coming to a stop on Bojack in the Universe 6 space.  
"Hey look, it's Majin Buu!" cried Goten, pointing towards Universe 11's wing.  
The pink, baby-faced, djinn came out of the interior of space 11 to join Dabra. Last to exit the doorway was none other than Babidi, still as ugly and wrinkled as ever.

"This sure brings back memories," Trunks reminisced as he took in everything.  
"It's the perfect occasion, man!" exclaimed his friend eagerly. "Gotenks will finally beat Majin Buu, once and for all!"  
"It doesn't look like he's gotten any stronger," Trunks said.  
"Yeah, but we're so much stronger!" replied Goten. "We're not little kids anymore!"  
"Oh, we've got this!" they exclaimed in unison.  
Behind the pair, Vegeta's eyes lingered for a moment on Universe 10's wing. Even from this distance, he still managed to find himself... again. Despite the beard, he recognized his counterpart easily enough by his face and haircut. Standing behind the Universe 10 Saiyan was his father, King Vegeta. His hair was graying, his back was hunched... he looked like nothing but a decrepit old man."What did you see, Dad?" asked Bra behind him.  
"Nothing. Nothing at all." Vegeta replied simply.  
Vegeta walked a few feet away... It wasn't seeing himself that bothered him...not really. What was so curios to him was that in that universe, the Saiyans were still wearing primitive rags. They were mere animal skins! These Saiyans were far from being technologically advanced. These Saiyans also all had tails, a feature that Vegeta, along with his alter ego of Universe 13, both now lacked.  
Gohan and Piccolo both noticed that Vegeta was pacing back and forth irately. They glanced over at Universe 10 to see the cause of the disturbance.  
"There are two groups," Piccolo noted. "I sense the presence of Nail as well as a few other Namekians."  
"This looks like a universe where Freeza never showed up," Gohan theorized. "These primitive warriors almost certainly can't transform into Super Saiyans."  
Trunks suddenly had a realization. "Hey! No Freeza? That means my grandfather should be there!"  
Trunks shot Goten a glance. "Maybe... I guess mine might be there too!" said Goten. "Let's go check it out!"  
As the duo ran toward the balcony of Universe 10, Gohan called out behind them. "You're really gonna try to talk to them?" he chuckled, remembering what Raditz was like. "You'll be disappointed..."  
Unlike his naive younger brother, Gohan had witnessed first-hand the brutality of a full=blooded Saiyan; they were nothing like the quiet, composed Vegeta from Universe 18. Gohan remembered their violence and cruelty well. These were warriors so devoted that they didn't even care about killing their own family members...  
Gohan turned towards Vegeta's daughter. "What about you, Bra? Don't you wanna go meet your grandpa with your brother and Goten?"  
"Tch, are you serious? Have you seen what those animals are wearing?" the girl replied, rolling her eyes with disgust. "I'm not gonna be seen anywhere near those apes!"  
"Oh right, I forgot how picky you are about the way people dress," sighed Gohan.  
As Goten and Trunks made their way, they passed pretty close to Freeza's balcony, but with all of the ambient stadium noise around them they couldn't really make out any of the conversations taking place.  
"Saaaaaaiyans...again," Freeza grumbled.  
"It appears as though our race is notably absent in many of these so-called alternate universes," his father mumbled, arms crossed to match his son's. "A shame really, as we'd most certainly eliminate their scum from existence."  
Freeza's father was none other than King Cold himself. The older Frost Demon wore armor like that of the Saiyans, unlike his son, as well as a cape, the trademark of sovereignty. He was also recognizable by his extreme height and the horns on his head, which closely resembled Freeza's second form.  
"All of this will change," added a purplish-white alien, comparable in size to Freeza and probably from the same family. "You can be certain of that."  
"Oh? And to what are you referring exactly, brother?" Freeza asked without bothering to turn.  
"Now that we've found Namekians that are actually compliant, that grant wishes instead of sacrificing their pitiful lives to protect those ridiculous dragonballs..." Cooler began. "We're not going to miss this opporitunity! Soon all the universes will belong to us."  
Cold's smile twisted with cruelty and satisfaction. “And every world contained within them. I see I've taught you well, my son. Hehehe."  
Freeza, however, was less enthusiastic. "Let's just hope that none of these universes contains the Super Saiyan of legend."  
Freeza had always feared the Legend of the Super Saiyan... Which is what had led him to the conclusion, in many different universes, that planet Vegeta needed to be destroyed...

Finally reaching the low wall of the Universe 10 patio, Trunks called out to the primitive Saiyans. "Hey! You're the King, right? Can I talk to you?"  
"Who dares address me with such indignity?" Vegeta growled from behind his beard.  
"Not you, stupid!" Trunks replied. "It's your father I wanna talk to!"  
"What!?" the King shouted. "You dare insult me, boy!?"  
"Hey, don't have a come apart, old man," Trunks said defensively. "Where I come from you're the Prince of Saiyans, not the King. So where's your father?"  
"Tch. As if I care one bit what happened in your universe. As for my father, the previous King Vegeta, he's right here." Vegeta said, grumbling and managing to calm down slightly, before pointing a thumb at the old man that stood behind him.The former King, now quite advanced in age, approached Goten and Trunks out of mere curiosity.  
"Woah," Goten remarked. "You guys look a whole lot alike, despite the age difference I mean."  
"Hey, are ya'll rich?" Trunks asked bluntly. "You know, I'm CEO of the largest company on my planet."  
"Have you got a huge palace?" asked Goten.  
"How old are you anyway?"  
"Hmph!" the old King Vegeta scoffed, bombarded with questions.  
"Calm the hell down, you brats," one of the other Saiyans yelled. "The King doesn't have the time or patience to deal with your ignorant babbling!"  
The old King Vegeta began to cough... rather seriously. As his struggling persisted, the Saiyan who'd defended him felt slightly embarrassed, and remained at his side as if his presence was helping...  
On the Universe 18 patio, Gohan and Piccolo watched the two half-Saiyans engage the group from Universe 10. As Gohan watched, he eventually grew slightly curious with an idea himself. "Hey, dad... aren't you interested in going to meet your father? An opportunity like this shouldn't be wasted."  
Goku was somewhat taken aback. "Meet him? Uh, I don't really know... I guess I don't really view him as my father, so..."  
"I suppose, but what if he wants to meet you?"  
"I really wouldn't even know what to say."  
"So twisted..." said Piccolo.  
Piccolo began to slowly levitate, flying towards Universe 10's space. He flew over the primitive Saiyans, who wondered aloud just what Piccolo thought he was doing. Piccolo landed at last in front of the group of Namekians.  
"Hello, Nail."  
Nail's eyes met his. "Greeings, brother. You're from the new group, correct?" asked Nail.  
"A piece of advice," said Piccolo immediately, ignoring the rhetorical question. "Be cautious of these Saiyans... Where I come from, they made their livelihood by slaughtering entire populations."  
"I see. Well, for now there's no reason to worry," replied the warrior who had fused with Piccolo over thirty years earlier. "These Saiyans don't currently have space technology. And from the looks of it, there's little chance of them developing it.""So..." Piccolo began, somewhat surprised. "Is there no one named Freeza in your universe? He's a galactic tyrant, you'd probably know of him."  
"Freeza, huh?" Nail repeated, glancing over at Universe 8. "We heard rumors about him while fleeing our planet during the great cataclysm. But we were fortunate, it seems. He, along with all the members of his family, the ones over there, were all killed by someone called Kaioshin."  
"Kaioshin..?"  
"Yes, the same Kaioshin that's over in the balcony of Universe 1 right now, the smallest one." Nail said, pointing to the five gods in the universe of the organizers.  
The gods were easily recognizable. What is most noticeable at first glance is their hair, which is the same for each: like a spiky crest on the skull. Only the hair of the goddess was slightly different, which flowed down to her shoulders. They also were all wearing earrings and the same type of serge.  
The small man with the mustache, the oldest of the gods, had a lock of hair hanging over his forehead. He was easily recognizable by the mustache, as he was the only god who had one.  
Between the small Kaioshin that Universe 18 was familiar with and the female Kaioshin of the west stood the greatest of the gods: the Kaioshin of the south. He stood over twice the height of the Varga that was currently conversing with Universe 1. He was imposing, and his build was clearly well-suited for physical combat.  
In contrast to the physically adept southern Kaioshin, Dai Kaioshin, leader of the Kaioshin, was more stocky, smaller, shorter, definitely heavier, and his arms were around half as large as those of southern Kaioshin. Also noticeable was that he didn't wear the same type of serge that his counterparts wore. One might think that his outfit was tailored specifically to be more comfortable. It was just a short jacket over his clothes, which were rather thin and flexible.  
Finally, the smallest of the gods was tinged light purple. He seemed to be the youngest, and not the strongest, either, in spite of the fact that it was he who defeated Freeza in his own universe as well as universe 10. Piccolo also concluded that this Kaioshin was not as strong as the one from Universe 18 was during the events of Majin Buu... He began to imagine how the fight would have unfolded against the universal tyrant..."I should go speak to them..." Piccolo said to his old "friend".  
"Of course. But first, I feel as if I know you... What is your name, brother?" asked Nail, very interested.  
"It's Piccolo. Freeza attacked your planet in my universe and by chance I managed to come across you. You'd given him everything you had, but he'd still left you bloodied, beaten, and dying. You decided to fuse with me so that with our combined might I could stand up to Freeza... and it worked, for a while anyway..."  
"I see," said Nail, smiling. "Well that explains your great power..."  
While Trunks continued questioning the old King Vegeta, Goten made his way towards one of the other Saiyan warriors. "Hey, I'm looking for someone specific! The father of... uh, Kakarotto!" he said, having to think a second before he remembered his father's Saiyan name.  
"Kakarotto? Never heard of him," answered the primitive Saiyan.  
From the back, a man emerged from the crowd, gently pushing a Saiyan woman out of the way. He was fairly well muscled, had a scar across his cheek, and had a few scars across his chest. "I once had a son named Kakarotto..." replied the Saiyan. "But he is dead now."  
"Woah!" Goten gasped upon seeing him, fists clenched with a look of delight on his face. "When I see that face, there's no doubt it's you!"  
"Me... What?" replied the Saiyan, confused.  
"Is your wife here?" asked Goten. "Can I get a photo of you two? With me in the middle?"  
"What's a "photo"?"  
"Did you even bring a camera, Goten?" Trunks asked mischievously.  
"Oh... Uh... Well, no... Damnit."  
"Just who are you anyway?" asked Baddack finally.  
"Well, believe it or not, we're your descendants," said Trunks. "I'm the grand-son of old King Vegeta.""And I'm your grand-son," said Goten to Baddack.  
"So you brats are our descendants from another universe?" asked the old King, annoyed.  
"Exactly!" the two friends replied at the same time.  
"Look, I'll show you," said Trunks, as he pulled out one of the few family photos he owned from his wallet. "Here's my home, my mother, my sister, and my father, who is sulking because he doesn't like pictures. Finally, I've got to be honest, you definitely look way better without a mustache..."  
"TCH! Still insulting me!? You'll regret ever being born, brat!"  
King Vegeta grumbled inwardly, but contained his wrath. Even in another universe, how was it that he could've raised up children that were so unbelievably rude? It must've been their mother's fault. After all, these were obviously "bastard" children.  
"What a shame!" King Vegeta exclaimed. "You're not even real Saiyans!"  
Vegeta's remark seemed textbook to both of the half-Saiyans as well as Piccolo. He was practically a copy of Vegeta from thirty years earlier.  
"Oh please!" replied Trunks. "Fully Saiyan or not, the two of us could crush all of you easily!"  
"Yeah!" Goten added. "You wouldn't stand a chance!"  
Standing somewhat frozen in front of the two half-Saiyans, the primitive Saiyans weren't quite certain whether or not the kids were joking... Or if they really were that strong. Regardless, they were far from even suspecting the existence of Super Saiyan, much less the several different levels of Super Saiyan...Piccolo continued his conversation with Nail of Universe 10, the pair still standing casually on the patio. "I suspect there's a reason so few of the universes here contain Namekians," he said after a quick glance around the stadium.  
"Indeed. Our people differ very little from one universe to another..." Nail finished his thought. "Although, there are still a few exceptions, such as Universes 1 and 7."  
"The first universe, you say?" asked Piccolo, somewhat perplexed. "The Kaioshins?"  
"Don’t you feel it? They’ve never experienced any worldwide disasters like the great cataclysm. I'm guessing they know nothing of the atrocities or struggles we've faced."  
"So, the reason they organized this tournament... was so that the Nameks of the first universe could participate?"  
"No, that's not it," replied Nail. "It’s my understanding that those among them who were planning to participate each unregistered after the discovery of Universe 7... take a look over there..."

Casting his eyes towards the balcony of Universe 7, Piccolo saw...a green giant! There stood a Namekian greater than even Piccolo himself. He leaned against the back wall, eyes closed, full of stoic calmness. The warrior was even taller than the door! He was at least three meters tall if not more. In any case, this Namek was the single most impressive specimen of his species; his long flowing cape only strengthened his presence.  
"In order to defeat Frieza," Nail continued, "all the Nameks in his universe merged into a single being. The end result was him, a true "super" Namek, with all the strength of our entire race combined."  
"A Super Namek..." repeated Piccolo. Up until now, Piccolo had thought that he, himself, had become a Super Namek. But this Universe 7 warrior brought a whole new meaning to the term.  
"It apparently served its purpose quite well," said Nail. "He easily destroyed Freeza, but there was an unexpected drawback: the Dragon Balls. After the fusion, they were left inert, and though he tried, he was unable to create new ones. As I understand, he traveled the universe in search of a replacement. It seems at long last he's found what he's been searching for. The Dragon Balls presented to the winner may be able to finally grant his wish."  
Piccolo grunted, curious what wish this super Namek could possibly want.  
"During his many adventures in space he met many powerful creatures..." Nail continued. "He defeated a green lizard monster that threatened the galaxy, then a pink demon. In fact, both of those creatures are here from other universes."  
"Yes, I think I may know who you're talking about..."  
"I'm pretty sure I've figured out his wish, too. He wants to be separated into all the individual souls he once was, before fusion. With all that taken into account, I think he's heavily favored to win this tournament."  
Certainly, everyone could count on him to put up an incredible showing, at the very least. While his Ki wasn't overwhelming at the moment, he no doubt was a master at concealing it. Piccolo was, to say the least, stunned by the imposing warrior... If all the Nameks in his world had fused, they were likely to become more powerful than him by far!  
"So, are you participating?" Nail asked.  
"No. Where I'm from, my power has been long surpassed by too many. Fighting would be pointless for me. But what about you? You seem to be the strongest of your universe... I'm assuming you registered?"  
"Yes, I did. Although, I hold no allusions about defeating that super Namek and I can certainly recognize the Ki of Freeza and many others. I still want to go as far as I can--even if only to represent my universe. Three other Namekians registered with me," Nail said, designating a few other Nameks behind him.  
"Ah! Cargot, I remember you," said Piccolo, recognizing the Namekian thanks to the memories of Nail within him. "But... In my universe you had no real fighting abilities..."  
"Correct, but I learned, studying and training with the best," replied Cargot. "I can't remember what changed my mind really, and the elder Nameks told me the sudden interest was strangely unfounded."  
"I see," said Piccolo. "Well, I wish you the best of luck regardless...and that goes for all of you. But feel free to forfeit if your efforts here aren't enough. It's just a tournament, there's there's no good reason to throw your life away."  
Each of the Nameks glanced at one another for a moment before Nail answered with a smile. "Thank you for the advice, my friend. We will take it into consideration."

On the other side of Universe 10's space, Trunks and Goten had just about finished speaking with the Saiyans. They really had nothing to learn from them, so they left.  
"Let's go back to our area," suggested Trunks.  
With that, they headed back to space 18. Along the way they crossed paths with Goku, who seemed to be heading towards the universe patio they had just left. Before either could ask Goku what his intentions were, Goten became distracted by something more interesting. "Look, the participants of Universe 19 are finally here!" he said, pointing towards their balcony.  
The fighters of Universe 19 were quite numerous. From a distance they all looked more or less the same. They all wore the same type of armor, a metallic alloy fiber that appeared quite durable. They also were armed with what appeared to be basic weaponry, and one of the fighters even seemed to have a rocket launcher on his back! Many of the fighters also wore unique helmets. Upon closer inspection, the warriors varied physically. Some were tall, some short, some with minor armor, and some with full bodied suits. Also immediately noticeable was the haircut of the largest, which bristled back past his ears.  
While Trunks and Goten jumped over the low wall into their universe's area, Goku timidly approached his father from Universe 10; Piccolo's ears twitched, attentive to the conversation about to unfold.  
"We look very similar," said Goku.

"Yeah?" replied Baddack simply, annoyed at having to meet yet another stranger.  
A silence fell between them for several long seconds...  
"So, apparently my name used to be Kakarotto, but I didn't know about that until I was grown. Since childhood I was called Son Goku."  
"Yes, you do resemble Kakarotto. I'm Baddack," said the father of Goku coldly."Hmm..." said Goku, folding his arms.  
Another pause...  
"You don't, uh, look very strong..." said Goku finally.  
"What!?" exclaimed Baddack. "You dare say that to me!? From the day you were born I had to go out of my way protecting you and your ridiculously laughable power level! The second you were finally killed was the second I finally felt relieved. Good riddance!"  
"Huh? Was I really that weak?"  
"Worse than you can imagine..." replied Baddack. "You were a Saiyan of low power from birth. Even your own brother was ashamed of you."  
Goku showed a little grimace at the mention of his brother. When Goku had faced Raditz, he had definitely been inferior. But now...  
Baddack said nothing more, and didn't seem interested in getting to know his son from another universe, so Goku departed. Ultimately, he didn't have anything to say to the man he had never known either. Upon returning to Universe 18's patio, along with Piccolo, Goku saluted the new arrivals--Universe 19's spectators and combatants. However, only a single warrior returned his greeting. Suddenly, Pan's voice called out to everyone.  
"Look! The last spot has been filled." Her voice conveyed her surprise. "But is that really the fighter for Universe 20?"  
Three Vargas and two Namekians were pushing a levitating platform from behind (Gohan wondered if it was anti-gravity technology or a mere air-cushion). On top of it lay a large block of ice that had been crudely cut.  
"There's someone inside the ice," Goku said observantly.  
Piccolo, with his piercing eyes, quickly discovered who it was. However, he didn't expect his revelation to trigger such panic. "Th-that's Broly!"  
"What!?" shouted Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan in utter shock.  
As Vegeta and Goku approached the patio of Universe 20, followed soon after by Piccolo and Gohan, a Varga began to explain. "We found him frozen in the vacuum of space. If he is alive when his match is called, then we'll allow him to participate."  
"That, is a very bad idea," added one of the Nameks next to him, staring at the giant frozen in the fetal position.'How could they bring a monster like that here?' Goku thought, trembling as a bead of sweat rolled off his forehead.

"It's horrible!" Bra of Universe 18 shouted, her voice almost too sincere.  
"So, even you can sense how dangerous he is, Bra?" her father asked, somewhat glad that his daughter was actually paying attention to things for once.  
"What? No! But... Did you see his outfit?" Bra asked them--the other Saiyans taken aback, almost shocked. "Just look at those bracelets on his arms. So tacky! It's a visual travesty!"  
Vegeta didn't even bother answering the remark... His second child was undoubtedly a far cry from discovering her Saiyan spirit... Her mother's fault without question!  
As they took in the full view of all twenty universes, the Z fighters now saw just how many familiar foes there were. There was Cell of Universe 17, who returned their stare with a not so subtle frown. Then there was Majin Buu of Universe 11, Freeza of Universe 8, Bojack and Zangya of Universe 6--they even saw the two cyborgs #17 and #18 smiling sadistically from their balcony. These were no doubt the same two cyborgs that had terrorized Future Trunks his entire life."Oh man..." Trunks shivered as he remembered the frigid beating he and Goten had taken from Broly as kids ("fight" was a big stretch, considering how badly they were beaten).  
"Um, how about we leave?" Goten continued, following the idea of his best friend, also rather terrified of having to face Broly.  
"Pansies," Vegeta mocked. "What's wrong? You registered as Gotenks, didn't you? You should have no problem if you have to face him."  
"Don't be so sure, Vegeta," Goku noted. "You're forgetting that his power constantly increases every second! After twenty years, there's no telling how powerful he's become."  
But Goku's words didn't unnerve Vegeta in the slightest. "Tch. He may have beaten me years ago, but now... I could crush him!"  
"Don't be so sure of yourself..." said Goku.  
"You guys seem like you know almost everyone here," Uub said as the group returned to their area.  
"Yeah, that's true. But don't worry too much," reassured his mentor. "Most of them are well below our level now. We will be able reenact legendary encounters!"  
'Especially against Broly...' he mentally added.  
Suddenly, a display of fireworks exploded in the sky, and a lively piece of music blared over the loudspeakers. It was a clear sign--the tournament was officially about to start! Up in the grandstands, the millions of people woke up in a single bound and roared.  
Goku was more excited than ever due to the massive audience like none he'd ever seen, and he couldn't wait for the battles to start. Uub, on the other hand, was both anxious and nervous. Pan was too happy and impressed to be nervous, and her attention suddenly shifted to a small, disk-shaped object flying over the small ring planet. On this object crouched a slightly small, green and blue creature, who had a head equipped with ten eyes and two vertical mouths. He spoke into two microphones at once, which he held in two of his four hands.

"Inhabitants of the Multiverse!" the creature began, his voice both grave and acute but perfectly audible and understandable as it resonated throughout the stadium.  
The creature allowed a moment of silence. That one single sentence had driven the audience wild! They shouted, whistled, howled, and even stomped their feet (or paws)! Goku had never seen a crowd so happy about the opening of a tournament (or a crowd so large, for that matter).  
"Fans of martial arts and fighting in general!" he continued. "You have all gathered here to witness the most incredible, most amazing, most competitive tournament that has ever existed!"  
Again, the cries of the millions of spectators filled the stadium, which covered up the announcer's voice for several dozen seconds.  
"You will witness the titanic battles of the strongest beings in the entire multiverse! Sixty-four fighters! Sixty-three fights in total! Twenty different universes! And, especially, one single winner!"  
No doubt, this presenter knew how to get a crowd going! And not just the audience, as Goku found himself repeatedly saying "Go, go!" as he stomped his feet. But even if Goku had to wait, he had to admit that he loved the anticipation.  
"All participants are now present!" the presenter continued. "The matches have been drawn up! It's only a matter of minutes! No, seconds! Everyone, give a quick thank you to the organizers of Universe 1, who planned and arranged this tournament purely for your viewing enjoyment! And to arbitrate these fights, myself and my twelve twin brothers will be your commentators!"  
These brothers of his appeared around him in an instant. They all looked the same. Each of them greeted the audience, and each of them appeared to have the same voice, completely indistinguishable.  
"It's finally time! Here is the first match of the tournament! I now call to the ring... (A moment of silence, the last, final moment of silence before the real start!) From Universe 13... Nappa!"  
"Alright!” Nappa said. “I’m up first! Watch and learn, guys!"  
"Against... Cargot of Universe 10!"  
Nappa flew toward the ring... And Cargot did the same. Both fighters landed on the spherical surface... The fight was about to start!The presenter's voice boomed out into the audience a final time. "Let the battle begin!"  
The presenter had barely finished his sentence when Nappa instantly charged his foe. The latter had already been in a defensive stance, which allowed him a sliver of time to parry the Saiyan’s first blow with his left forearm. The Namekian blocked the Saiyan's next two blows as well, before attempting to counter with an uppercut—which failed when the bald colossus leapt sharply backwards.  
Bracing in another stable defensive stance, the Namek exhaled. His opponent quickly continued the assault, delivering a horizontal kick that the Namek parried with his elbow. The block even threw Nappa off balance, and Cargot intended to press his advantage.  
Cargot advanced forward to to continue the assault, but was taken aback by the speed with which his opponent recovered his balance. Nappa was back on him instantly with a barrage of powerful fists, this set even stronger than the last. The Namekian was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the Saiyan’s raw force, and had began a slow retreat backwards under the onslaught of incoming blows.  
"You know," Nappa said with a smirk, clearly not out of breath. "I killed your entire race back in my universe. The whole species, wiped out completely."  
Cargot didn’t respond, though Nappa clearly had hoped to provoke a reaction from him. The Saiyan loved getting in his opponent’s heads, destabilizing them mentally—but Cargot wasn’t fooled. He maintained his focus and composure as he continued parrying the Saiyan’s assault.  
"That's none of my business," he managed to finally reply, between two attacks.  
Up in the grandstands, the audience hadn’t decided on a consensus of who to cheer for. The majority cheered on both fighters for putting up such a great showing. Of course in Universe 10, the other Namekians wished good luck to their comrade, while those of Universe 13 merely hoped the fight would end quickly rather than Nappa continuing to fool around.  
"This Nappa is much stronger than the one we knew," noticed Gohan of Universe 18.  
"True," added his father. "But it's also apparent that he's aged consideraHis movements are fast enough, but they're a bit...stiff..."  
"This Namekian is also quite strong," Piccolo observed, who was watching the match very closely (after all, he had been killed by Nappa). "He’s definitely a true warrior like Nail and myself. His strength doesn't seem that far removed from Nappa's... But..."  
"Oooh!" said one of the presenters. "The warrior from Universe 13 is starting to take the lead! His increasingly powerful blows are connecting with Cargot! Oh, Nappa just landed a serious blow to Cargot’s face!"  
Spitting blood, Cargot began losing major momentum—he could hardly attack at all. He had no time to find an opening... ‘There!’ he thought to himself when he finally noticed one.  
Unfortunately for Cargot, Nappa had left this opening exposed on purpose as a misdirection, and planted a huge punch to the stomach of the Namek. Cargot doubled over, gasping. His eyes met with those of his sneaky opponent just before Nappa landed another powerful kick that propelled him several meters away. Nappa stared down at the lifeless body of his opponent and let out a small sigh... The Namek hadn’t moved.  
"Took him long enough," growled Vegeta of Universe 13.  
"And thirty seconds! Nappa is declared the winner!" said the enthusiastic voice of the announcer.  
"Hahaha, that was nothing!" Nappa said before returning to his space. Two Nameks came to the ring to bring Cargot back to his space.  
"Well," said the presenter, "it was a good fight, regardless of how quickly it was decided! Without any further delay, let us announce the second match of the first round... Freeza of Universe 8 against Jeece of Universe 8!"

The Red Magma’s eyes shot wide open as he exchanged a terrified glance with his best friend Butta. A huge drop of sweat beaded up and trickled down the forehead of the white-haired man. "Wait, we can still fight even though we're from the same universe?"  
He hadn’t spoken it rhetorically, however, as he hoped the draw was merely a misunderstanding. Jeece held his breath as he awaited confirmation from the Vargas.  
"The fights are randomly chosen between he entire pool of fighters," the presenter replied into the microphone in order to clarify this point for everyone.  
Freeza, who stood just in front of Jeece and Butta, turned slightly to catch the terrified gaze of his henchmen. The cruel leer of the galactic tyrant was a harsh reminder of reality to Jeece. Clearing his face, he faltered. "Er... I forfeit."  
He was booed loudly by the spectators, who responded as expected to the second fight of the tournament ending before it began. This time, their disappointment was somewhat justified. The presenter wasted no time in declaring Freeza the winner by forfeit, and announcing the next fight: Son Goku of Universe 18 against Mahissu of Universe 10.  
"Already? That’s lucky!" said the Saiyan from Earth. "Let's go!"  
As he flew toward the ring, he heard encouragement from Goten. On the other side of the spherical tournament ring, his "primitive" Saiyan opponent was already waiting for him.  
"Tch, this pathetic match isn’t even a warm up..." Vegeta criticized.  
"Maybe, but they could be stronger than people think, Vegeta," said Gohan, trying to convince him that the fight might still be interesting. "What if they’re all suppressing their power levels like we do?"  
"Do you honestly believe that?" Vegeta responded.  
"Well... No... But..."  
"I've been around these types for a long time. Hiding one's power is a rare talent..."  
"Both fighters are in the ring!" informed the host with a loud voice. "Let the fight begin!"

"You're a Saiyan?" asked Goku, slowly putting himself into position.  
"I'm not talking to a renegade with no tail," replied his opponent, who remained upright and immobile.  
"Not very friendly... But how did he guess I was a Saiyan? My hair? Or maybe he heard me talking to my father? Well... No need to use full strength... But he isn't human, either... Maybe a little strength!"  
At the speed of light, Goku, smiling, threw his fist forward. Facing him, Mahissu barely had time to open his eyes before a massive invisible shockwave slammed into his stomach, lifted him off of his feet, and hurled him violently through the air. Mahissu ricochet off the ground several times before finally skidding to a halt, a trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth.  
Surprised, Goku approached him and crouched. His opponent didn’t budge. "Hey, are you okay?"  
"S... Son Goku of Universe 18 wins!" stammered the presenter, incredulously.

The referees, as well as the Universe 1 organizers, paced with nervousness. They hadn’t expected three fights to end so quickly! The audience wasn’t even sure what had happened. Some had caught on that it was a type of air pocket, but began to grumble that they didn't get a good fight yet again.  
In the Universe 19 balcony, one of the fighters had plainly seen what had happened thanks to the helmet on his head. Their advanced technology had analyzed the attack, calculated its force, and even recorded slowed-down images. The only thing he managed to say at the time was "Powerful...!"  
Back in the ring Goku was standing idly, arms crossed. He had a feeling of déjà vu, but he couldn’t put his finger on what had caused it. Two Namekian organizers brought Mahissu back to his own balcony, dropping him gently on the ground. The Nameks and Saiyans of Universe 10, after witnessing the fights they had been in, began to wonder what they were doing at such a tournament. Vegeta of Universe 13 took the opportunity to heckle and belittle the whole group, calling them pathetic and low-leveled.  
"I forfeit." said one of the Universe 10 Nameks, before being joined by others.  
"Hmph, cowards!" insulted the King Vegeta of Universe 10.  
While Goku returned to the Universe 18 patio, still trying to figure out his déjà vu moment, he saw Goten approach him with a thumbs-up. Behind his son, Pan ran towards her grandfather, arms outstretched hoping he’d pick her up. Uub congratulated his sensei on the win. Goku finally snapped his fingers and exclaimed. "Chichi!"  
"What?" Uub asked, not understanding the sudden jubilation of his sensei.  
As Goku began to explain his deja vu, the four Saiyans from Universe 13 approached their space...  
The group from Universe 18 watched as these Saiyans approached them. It was the smallest of the group who spoke, arms crossed with an arrogant smile on his face. Vegeta of Universe 18 felt a sense of déjà vu himself.

Finding this universe to be far more interesting than Universe 10, Vegeta approached the group of Saiyans as his counterpart began to explain who they were. "We are the Super Saiyans, and I am the future winner of this tournament," he said, pointing a thumb at himself.  
While almost everyone of Universe 18 gathered before the Saiyans, their leader, Vegeta continued. "Disregarding your ridiculous clothes, I’d say you're the closest group to us, as you have Kakarotto with you... but... a Namek?! I suppose you had a possible divergence while fighting Freeza on Planet Namek, right?"  
"Interesting," thought Vegeta of Universe 18. His counterpart had already given him a lot of information. In this universe, they had faced Freeza... but..."Obviously we diverged before that," analyzed Piccolo, who had theorized a quick scenario to explain the presence of Nappa, Raditz, and especially Goku. "Your Kakarotto was not sent to Earth as a baby, was he?"  
Goku stood a mere two feet from his counterpart, with only the low wall of his space separating them. Kakarotto replied proudly. "No, I was sent to Earth. I killed all of the humans and the others picked me up twenty years later. Together we went to Namek to find the Dragon Balls."  
"You killed...all of the humans!?" Goku repeated, shocked by his counterpart.  
"And surely Kami-sama also," Piccolo said, guessing that’s how Kakarotto had learned about the Dragon Balls.  
"While on Planet Namek, we fought and destroyed Freeza... I discovered the secret of the Super Saiyan there! What about your group?" Vegeta of Universe 13 asked.  
"To put it simply..." Goku began, ready to tell their story... From the very beginning!  
"We were better," Vegeta of Universe 18 cut in.  
He turned, ultimately uninterested in this group. It was obvious how this band of four Saiyans had survived for so long... But before leaving the conversation, he allowed himself one last remark. "Funny... While your Kakarotto may have killed all of the Earthlings, I killed Nappa myself back on Earth."  
"Impossible... You and I never went to Earth, only Raditz went there!" Replied Nappa, who was just as shocked as Goku before him.  
While the small psychological battle was balanced by Universe 18 Vegeta, Piccolo hastened to add. "And I killed Raditz when he came to Earth. And inadvertently, our Kakarotto also..."  
"Hehehe," Goku grinned, remembering his sacrifice.  
"You killed me... How dare you, vermin!?" Raditz yelled after a slight moment of hesitation. To learn that he was killed, even in another universe, was not at all comforting.

"Calm down, Raditz," ordered his chief. "We’re not here to fight against them or anyone else outside of the official matches..."  
A silence fell. Everyone was trying to discern the behavior of the other universe. Trunks and Goten felt a slight tension. Nothing serious, but it was a bit chilling, especially the other Prince Vegeta... Trunks tried to change the subject. "These primitive Saiyans are gonna be damn disappointed with their results here."  
Universe 13 Vegeta showed a sadistic smile again. "The funny thing will be Freeza. I look most forward to killing him a second time."  
"Not only you, but I’m guessing it would be a pleasure for many of the universes," Gohan intervened.  
"Hey, I'll be the first to confront him in the second round," Nappa pointed out.  
Gohan was attentive. "You think you can beat him?" he asked, interested.  
"Of course!" Vegeta replied, annoyed. "What do you think, kid?"  
"I don't know... In my universe, Freeza killed you, Vegeta."  
"And in mine it was I who killed him!" replied Universe 13 Vegeta. "Was your Freeza stronger than ours? Or was I just weaker?"  
Gohan did not know what to say... Using Universe 8 as a comparison, it would appear that Freeza was about the same in every universe. How could this Vegeta have been stronger than the Universe 18 Vegeta if he had not faced Goku on Earth to receive his near-death Zenkai power boost?  
"Don't over-exert yourself," said Universe 13 Vegeta, who saw the perplexed look on Gohan's face. "I have another, simpler question: if Freeza killed me, who killed him?"  
"I defeated him," replied Goku, finally joining the conversation.  
"Ahah! That's me!" Kakarotto repeated in front of him, rather proud. H shot a small, mocking grin at his chief Vegeta... Who returned with a look that threatened him to stop the taunting, which Kakarotto did at once.  
"I also transformed into a Super Saiyan against Freeza," Goku said.  
"What got you so angry?" asked Vegeta, curious.  
"Well..."  
"Freeza killed his best friend, Kulilin," Goten cut in, who felt proud to tell his father's story. "He nearly killed Piccolo, too, but Piccolo isn't that weak now! Today, he could crush Freeza easily!"  
"Um, Kulilin..." Kakarotto reflected, folding his arms. "He was a bald dwarf, right? And Piccolo was, like, the Namek over there?"  
"Yes," Goten simply said.  
"Well, these two were on Earth and... Heh heh... I killed them both. Shocked?"  
With these words, Kakarotto had hoped to take advantage of the psychological battle... But it was in vain. Gohan and Goten looked at each other. They had already realized that Kulilin and Piccolo were long since dead in Universe 13, making the mental attack ineffective. However, the two brothers had the same idea.  
"You want to be shocked?" Gohan laughed with the same smile as Kakarotto.  
"You will be shocked," Goten said finally, taking the same position.  
"You are my father!" they shouted, both pointing a finger at Kakarotto, who cringed, his eyes widening with surprise.  
Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz all laughed hysterically. No doubt they could hear from afar, especially Nappa.  
"Who would have thought Kakarotto could be a father?" Vegeta of Universe 13 said between laughs. "Imagine it, Kakarotto, you, a papa-hen! Haha!"  
Bra, who had heard her alternate-universe father, advanced between Gohan and Goten. She looked at her brother before quickly saying, "You'd better hold your tongue too, Prince," emphasizing last part with as much malice and sarcasm as she could put into a single word.  
"Yeah," said Trunks, "you're ultimately no better than him because..."  
"You are our father!" the two siblings said in the same fashion as Gohan and Goten, pointing a finger each at Vegeta, who had stopped laughing immediately.Vegeta didn’t know how to react. He could counter to stop their cackling, or just look at his children from another universe... Until finally, it finally dawned on him that if the four of them didn’t have offspring, it would be the end of the Saiyan race in their universe...  
The announcer’s voice sounded again. "Sorry for the wait, ladies and gentlemen! Universe 10 had the most participants, and every Namek save for one just forfeited. We had to remove them from the roster, but we can finally continue!"  
"Kakarotto, come, we're returning to our balcony," said Vegeta, who had already began to leave, followed closely by Nappa and Raditz.  
"Alright," said Kakarotto, who turned to his Universe 18 counterpart. "I wonder which of us is stronger... I'd love to fight against you. Much more than against any of these losers!"  
"We now call to the ring #17 of Universe 14 and I'K'L of Universe 15!"  
"Ah, someone we don't know!" Goku exclaimed, trying to imagine the surprises of this I'K'L, "An interesting battle!"#17 of Universe 14 looked to his right at the space of Universe 15. There was one person standing there, a woman, dressed in a rather ridiculous fashion. She wore a kind of turban that clashed with the rest of her clothes and a cape that did not hide the tail sticking out of her back.  
#17 then proceeded to detail her face. "Not much better," he thought. She seemed completely dumb-founded. A giant mole near her nose made her even uglier than she already seemed, her wide eyes with only two lashes, and her giant, gaping lips...  
An amused smile spread across #17's face. "I'll still enjoy myself, even if she's repulsive."  
"Wha... Already?" the curious warrior exclaimed.  
#17 was astonished. What was the problem? Does the warrior not want to fight right now?  
"But my I'K'L is not born yet!" the woman continued.  
"Born?" What #17 had mistaken for a giant belly... actually contained a unborn creature, which only vaguely looked like a human. It also became apparent that the mother was not human either (while she turned, #17 could see her round, alien-looking ears), but she still looked similar. This creature developing in her womb, however, was completely... hideous.  
"Please, allow me a few more hours!" the mother called out.  
"Impossible," the presenter finally declared. "It's a forfeit."  
The public passionately protested that the fight didn't take place.  
"Well, that was quite easy." #17 boasted.  
I'K'L's mother glared at him.  
"One way or another it would have ended quickly," the cyborg continued. "You're fortunate that I didn't have to beat up your offspring."  
With that, #17 joined his sister.  
"Do you think this #17 is stronger than the one we fought in our universe?" Gohan asked.  
"Who cares!?" Vegeta remarked. "Even if he were 3 times as strong as he was we would still crush him.""I wouldn't know," said Goku. "I've never fought him."  
"Dad, in the next round you’ll finally fight #17!"  
"Ah yes, it's true! I just hope he's strong enough..."  
"If I recall, I remember Trunks saying that our androids were stronger than his." said Piccolo, rejoining the conversation.  
"Yes, I remember." Gohan replied, nodding. "He even had a theory about it. His theory was that there is no such thing as infinite energy."  
"So the more time that passes, the weaker they get... Logical." Piccolo replied, uncrossing his arms.  
"Then what about Cell?" Vegeta asked out of curiosity.  
The four of them turned to look at the space 17. Cell had not moved an inch since the beginning of the tournament.  
"I guess Cell is a more complicated case..." Gohan replied. "We'll have to wait for his fight to measure him."  
"Well, in any case I'm looking forward to fighting one of them in the next round!" Goku said with a renewed smile.  
"Southern Kaioshin of Universe 1 against Butta of Universe 8!" the presenter suddenly declared.

Both of the warriors touched down on the ring. They were both very large, and almost to equal size with one another. If this were the smallest Kaioshin, the size difference might have amused the audience.  
Butta placed his hands on his hips while his opponent stood straight, hands at his sides. The blue-skinned warrior hoped to win this match to bring back honor to the Ginyu Force after Jeece's bad luck... In retrospect, Butta was glad he wasn't in his place, but who cares! First, he needed to know his opponent's strength. In order to do so, he laid a finger on the button of the device on his ear. Some numbers appeared on the greenish screen covering his left eye. Butta laughed. "That's it? 500 units!? Haha! I'm at least a hundred times stronger than you! Haha! Also, I'm the fastest being in the universe, so you had better give up!" Butta finished by pointing his thumb at himself, one hand still on his hip.  
"Really?" his opponent simply as he instantly disappeared.  
Butta looked around, but in vain... Less than a second later his opponent was right in front of him.  
"Well," said the Kaioshin in front of Butta, who retreated back out of shock. "I just ran around you one-hundred times! Do you think you're as fast?"  
"I... I'm the fastest being in the universe!" stuttered the elite soldier while sweating profusely.  
Butta had no time to say more, as his opponent disappeared yet again. He reappeared, his fist placed firmly into Butta's stomach... The god had knocked out his opponent with one strike despite the strong armor of the latter. Clearly, the strength of the Southern Kaioshin was not 500 units...  
"The fastest, eh?" Southern Kaioshin repeated. "In your universe maybe."  
About to pass out, Butta heard the remark and became enraged. Hands clutching his stomach, legs trembling, and a trickle of drool at the corner of his mouth, he managed to let out a last couple of words. "Im... Impossible... So fast..."  
The Kaioshin, still facing his opponent, decided to launch one final reply with a smile. "I'm not the fastest. My build slows me down."  
Butta could no longer move, and after a couple of seconds fell into unconsciousness. When he was declared the winner, Southern Kaioshin returned to his space. He was congratulated by his comrades, although they had been sure of victory from the start. The Southern Kaioshin did not pay attention; he preferred to focus on the identity of his next round. While the henchmen of Frieza fetched Butta, the warriors of our universe commented on Southern Kaioshin's performance.  
"Haha, he beat him even quicker than I did," Goku said with a smile.  
"The Kaioshin are not to be taken lightly," said Piccolo. "The Eastern Kaioshin killed Frieza in their universe."  
"So he was actually stronger than the tyrant?" Vegeta retorted.  
"And this Southern Kaioshin appears to be even stronger than him," replied Piccolo.  
"I wonder if he's on the level of Super Saiyan 2..." Gohan wondered aloud.  
"Impossible to know until we see him fight someone stronger," Goku said. "I'm actually a little disappointed that we didn't get the chance to see more..."  
"We will, Dad," Gohan replied. "The weakest went first, but look! We still have CellBuu, Bojack, Broly..."  
"Hmm..." Goku was not convinced. Bojack might not be that powerful... Cell could be good. Buu? His regenerative powers might make for an interesting fight... Broly's power depends on how long he was frozen... Goku just hoped that his power increase froze along with his body.  
"Hey, just go ask Cell how he won," Goten suggested with a bit of hesitation. "It could at least give us an idea..."  
Looking over at Cell, Gohan became curious. "If he died in his universe, would that mean he's stronger than a Super Saiyan 2?"  
"Wanna go, Dad?" Goten asked.  
"Sure, let's go. Gohan, you coming?"  
"No thanks, I'm not interested," Gohan said, recalling all of the pain and suffering his friends went through at the hands of this creature and the death of his father, all thanks to his own mistakes.  
Goku and Goten then headed toward Cell's space. Once they were at the edge of their space, just behind the wall that separates their area and Cell's, Cell looked directly at them...  
"Cell," Goku began, "we would like to know what happened in your universe."  
"I have nothing to say... I will not repeat myself."  
"He must have spoken to our counterparts in Universe 16," Goten concluded, perceptive for once.  
"Can you at least tell me if you killed me?" Goku insisted.  
Cell smiled. "Who knows..."  
"What about me?" Gohan asked, finally approaching. Curiosity prevailed over the contempt he felt toward the green creature.  
"You..." Cell began. "You got me upset. You were nothing but a whining little kid."

Immediately, Gohan jumped over the barrier to see Cell face-to-face. He stopped less than a meter from Cell. Cell uncrossed his arms and held his gaze, while the Cell Jr. behind his legs stepped back.  
"A whiner, eh? You know, in my universe it was I who killed you."  
"Hm... Doesn't surprise me. The you from Universe 16 said the exact same thing," Cell said aloud. To himself, he thought, "I guess I should be wary..."  
"I tried to push out your "hidden power" by killing all of your friends..." Cell continued. "But it didn't work. I was extremely disappointed, Gohan."  
Gohan looked at Cell, surprised. This meant he was below Super Saiyan 2? The Cell Juniors would have killed everyone... His father, Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo... Everyone. This would explain the presence of one of them along with Cell... Gohan, holding back the rising rage he felt, attempted one last time to gauge his power. "Have you faced anyone named Bojack?"  
If Cell knew Bojack, it would mean that Goku sacrificed himself. The death of King Kai and the destruction of his planet would have freed Bojack, Zangya, Bujin, and the rest of his henchmen... It would also mean that Cell had fought Gohan's Super Saiyan 2, and that he had returned even stronger... But Cell frowned. "Bojack? Never heard of him."  
"So can you tell us what you did after you killed us?" Goku asked, approaching as the Cell Jr. returned to snuggle against his "father".  
"Oh, I vaguely remember watching my "children" destroy your planet," Cell said as he patted his Cell Jr. on his head. "It was quite amusing."  
The Son family was taken aback by this almost paternal attitude. Not knowing what to say, they returned to their space without another word..."What a bore..."  
Bra knew how to pass the time. She thought coming to an event like this could be fun... What a mistake. The first couple of battles were painfully boring. The public openly agreed, and the boos could be heard from every angle. It didn't help that the next match was slow to be announced. The organizers must have been talking amongst themselves... Lost in thought, Bra hardly noticed Pan trying to comfort her.  
"When your brother or your father fight, it should be more interesting for you, right?"  
"I don't know," simply replied the purple-haired girl.

Bra had never really been close friends with Pan... In fact, they saw each other rarely; only on occasions such as this or at reunions at the Capsule Corporation... The had played together a lot at one point in their lives, but their interests soon diverged; one wanted to fight, and the other preferred fashion.  
Because of this, Bra had always found Pan's behavior and way of thinking to be immature. She found that even their physical differences influenced their way of thought. Bra, only two years older than Pan, was rather large and well formed. Pan was the size of a ten year old child at the most (according to Bulma). Moreover, she treated the fact that she wasn't "flat" as an excuse that "fighting was not compatible with feminism." Also, when you look at her mother, Videl...  
"Hey, are you listening to me?"  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm listening, Pan," Bra replied. "I was just lost in thought."  
"So you weren't listening!"  
"Umm..."  
Bra rose. It had been about twenty minutes since they started this uninteresting conversation. That was enough!  
"I'm gonna have a look around... You coming?" Bra asked, more out of politeness than from an actual desire to accompanied by her junior.  
"No way," replied the little girl as she jumped up from the bench. "The fighting could resume at any second. I'm gonna join my mom."Rarely, Videl would visit and speak to the Briefs family. It was more like the two girls were forced to talk to each other rather than having a real conversation. It must be confessed that Videl and her daughter were much better at fighting than gossiping!  
Luckily, Gohan returned with his brother and father. Videl came to find her husband, who stopped walking to wait for his other two family members to join the rest of the group.  
"Same as thirty years ago," Gohan replied. "I'm not even sure I learned anything about it."  
"But you're stronger than him, right?" Pan asked, who had just joined her parents.  
"Of course, no worries there," reassured her father with a gentle pat on her head.  
Nearby, Goku repeated the conversation with Cell word-for-word to Vegeta and Piccolo, while Goten left the area with Trunks.  
"I think he's mocking us," said the Saiyan Prince as his rival finished, arms crossed.  
"Indeed," Piccolo replied. "This is a tricky case, don't forget. Everything he says could be a lie."  
"I would've liked to learn more about him," Goku complained.  
"Is the presence of Broly not enough for you?" the Namekian remarked, arms also crossed.  
"He may just remain frozen..." Vegeta replied with little belief in his claim.  
"While on the subject," said Piccolo, ignoring the complains of his former enemy, "I want to go talk to the organizers about him. He worries me..."  
"You think you can do something about it? You?" Vegeta replied, surprised, with slight disdain in his voice.  
"We’ll see."  
Without another word, Piccolo flew over to the space of Universe 20, where some Vargas and Nameks were busily tending to the block of ice containing Broly.  
Gohan approached his father and Vegeta without Pan or Videl, who were speaking to each other. (Pan was telling Videl about how she was going to win her first match).  
"Where’s Piccolo?" Goku's oldest son asked.  
"Talking to the Vargas about Broly," His father answered by simply looking.  
"Oh... So what do you think of these Vargas?" questioned Gohan.  
"I still don't trust them," Vegeta said quickly.  
I like them myself," Goku answered. "Because of them, we get to participate in this amazing tournament!"  
"I don't like the gathering of so many monsters," Gohan asserted, agreeing with Vegeta for once. "The Vargas definitely had a bad idea.""You're too paranoid, Gohan," said his father, pointing at him. "It's not like you at all. Is there really anyone here who could pose a threat to us? That Universe 16 seems to be identical to us... If something bad happens, I'm sure good will prevail."  
"I hope," Gohan simply said, turning his head to Pan.  
Goku put his hand on the shoulder of his son. "Don't worry about it. But you know, if you're so worried, you could always participate..." Goku tried once again to persuade his son.  
"Oh please, just stop, Dad!"  
"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Goku laughed as he took a few steps back. "Hey, where's Uub?"  
Eyes seeking his pupil, the teacher found him jogging past the space of Universe 15...

"Well... At least he's serious," Goku commented.  
"Are you surprised?" Gohan asked. "He's your student."  
"I must be a good teacher!" Goku joked. "Hmm... Universe 15. That's the universe of that "Icicle" person, right?"  
"His name is I'K'L, Kakarotto. I'K'L," Vegeta sighed with a tinge of annoyance.  
"But yes," Vegeta continued. "A new-born fighting in a tournament," he mocked, turning his head to look at space 15.  
"This tournament just keeps getting stranger," said Gohan.  
"He might just be incredibly strong at birth!" Goku hoped, jovial.  
"Hmph, impossible!" Vegeta scoffed. "You know that even Broly was only 10,000 units at birth!"  
"Oh," Goku said, slighty disappointed by his rival's remark. "You had never said it to us..."  
"Want to go talk to him? Er... Her? I mean... It?" Gohan proposed.  
"Can't hurt. " Goku replied.  
"Alright, I'll go," said Gohan, turning to walk.While Gohan left his space, he could hear Goku and Vegeta talking about what they would wish for if either of them won the tournament. He would have liked to hear their conversation a little more, but Videl stopped him to ask where he was going.  
"I want to go talk to I'K'L. I mean, I'K'L's mother."  
"Can I come with you?"  
"Of course."  
Together, Gohan and his wife walked toward the wall defining their area, where Trunks and Goten stood talking, pointing out the different universes and giving their own thoughts on each one.  
"What are you guys up to?" Gohan asked as he jumped over the low wall.  
"We're giving a prognosis," his brother replied. "Trying to rank all of the fighters."  
Gohan was surprised that his brother even knew what "prognosis" meant. "So, what's your conclusion at the moment?" He asked as he politely helped his wife over the wall.  
"Gotenks will kick ass, of course!" said the two young warriors together.  
"What would you wish for, then?" Videl asked this time, still clinging to her husband's arm.  
"Hmm. That's a good question," replied Trunks. "Goten, do you have any ideas?"  
"Not really..." replied his best friend. "I haven't even thought about that..."  
"We'll leave you here to think, then!"  
Gohan and Videl continued their journey, leaving Trunks and Goten in thought like Vegeta and Goku.  
"Shall we continue our grand tour?" Gohan's wife asked.  
"Yes, of course."  
Holding hands, Gohan and his wife slowly walked toward their destination. They discussed each universe they encountered along the way, starting with the 19th. They passed Uub along the way while crossing the space of Universe 2, of which all of its fighters were absent. Uub bowed without stopping, and the two lovers gave him a gesture of encouragement. Universes 3, 4, 5, 9, and 12 all seemed too empty...  
Gohan gave his opinions on each universe he was familiar with. While passing Universe 14, they crossed paths with Bra, who looked as bored as ever and was walking in the opposite direction. They didn't say much to each other, but they all noticed the shy smile that Uub gave to Bra, who crossed them again while jogging.  
After Uub passed them by, Videl noticed a smile on Bra's face, a smile that spoke volumes. Vegeta's daughter looked away and continued her journey. While Gohan and Videl finally arrived at space 15, Videl wondered if there was some sort of crush between Uub and Bra.  
"They're young..." Gohan began. "Bra is pretty cute, it wouldn't surprise me."  
"But Bra is more into fashion... and Uub is into fighting."  
"Maybe she's into strong fighters? And I think it would be hard finding anyone stronger than him."  
Squeezing her husband's arm a little harder, Videl snuggled against him. "That reminds me... Of twenty years ago..."  
Gohan and Videl stopped just outside of Universe 15's space. While the mother of I'K'L looked at them, Gohan took Videl in his arms. Their eyes met, and seemed to commune... Finally, they brushed their lips together for a kiss; a kiss with the same fiery passion that has not changed for twenty years. After a few moments, when there seemed to be nothing else in the universe besides the two of them, Videl suddenly felt embarrassed. "She's staring at us..."  
The lips of her husband left her so that he could turn his head and look. He turned his head and saw the woman of Universe 15.  
"Hello!" Gohan said, raising his hand to greet her.  
The woman did not respond or move, but her eyes hardened.  
"Do you not know how to talk?" Gohan tried yet again to establish communication.  
"Of course, I know how to talk!" the woman replied dryly.  
She seemed very upset. "If my I'K'L was born," she went on, "then you would not want to talk to me! You would have realized the strength of my child and trembled!"  
"Hm... A baby can't be that strong," Videl advanced with good reasoning.  
"I cannot tolerate such nonsense from such a flat-chested lady," replied the woman.

"Me, flat!?" Videl said furiously, arms stretched along her body, fists clenched, and head bent slightly forward. "At least my chest doesn't hang past my stomach!" She retorted.  
"You know nothing of real beauty," the woman simply replied.  
Videl attempted to cross over into her space, but Gohan quickly stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.  
"No. Drop it, Videl."  
"But, Gohan! I'm not gonna-""Who cares what she thinks?" Gohan cut. "It's just one person's opinion. She doesn't want to be friendly, and we have no right to look for problems with the other competitors... Let's just drop it and go."  
"Yes... You're right," Videl replied, calming down.  
"Too bad... Another universe we learned nothing from," Gohan pensively said as the two of them were halfway back to their space.  
"I'm sorry, Gohan. I got carried away."  
"Don't worry about," Gohan replied. "If you didn't say anything back I surely would have."  
Videl blushed. "Oh, Gohan..."  
They arrived back at their space together with Uub, who continued his warm-ups. Gohan and Videl saw that Vegeta and Goku were arguing over the best possible wish.  
"A giant cream puff!" Goku shouted.  
"A sports car!" Vegeta replied, sweating.  
"Uh... My cream puff is way more creative than your car. I win!" Goku said with a sense of triumph.  
Vegeta growled... Even if this game was stupid, he would just lose. It was good in a sense, it actually suited him. It would prove that he doesn't mind losing as much as his rival.  
"What are you two arguing about?" Videl asked.  
"Well, we talked about what we would wish for, and Vegeta told me my idea was stupid. I said no, that his idea was worse, and gave an example."  
"He provoked me," Vegeta followed, "telling me that I would never find a wish worse than mine. But after some reflection, I think I've found a wish that's much more stupid!"  
"I see..." said Gohan. "Isn't all of this a bit... childish?"  
"Say that again!" Vegeta screamed, but with no real anger.  
A presenter suddenly cried into the four microphones he held in his four arms. His voice echoed loudly. “The tournament continues, ladies and gentlemen! We now call Majin Buu of Universe 11 and Bujin of Universe 6 to the ring!""Buu! Buu!" cried the Djinn from Universe 11 in his high-pitched squeaky voice, hurting Dabra's ears.  
"Go, my Majin! Show yourself worthy of my expectations! If you win, I'll give you candy!" Babadi screamed at the top of his lungs.  
"Yay!", exclaimed Buu, extremely delighted at the prospect of such a reward.  
Behind Babidi, Dabra, the Lord of the Underworld, grumbled... He found this reward incredibly puerile. Very often, that Majin Buu acted like a complete idiot. And over there, Babadi was acting quite "gaga" as he addressed Buu...  
Dancing lightly, hopping from one foot to another, Majin Buu suddenly flew at breakneck speed, arms forward, yelling his name.  
"Buuuu!"In the ring, Bujin had already taken his fighting position. He smiled, awaiting his opponent. For him, there was no doubt that he was going to win. After all, he was one of the most well-known Galactic Mercenaries. It had been a long time since he had suffered defeat.  
And then again, losing would not be taken kindly by his boss, Bojack. He could be fired from the team! Ah, it nostalgically reminded him of the day that Bido—  
BAM!  
Bujin had seen nearly nothing. His opponent had hit the ground and punched him directly without warning. "Candy-foot" gave him a good right hook to the middle of the jaw.  
Rising immediately, Bojack's henchman put his hand to his left cheek. It had already swelled incredibly. "AH! Bastard! He attacked me without warning!" He thought to himself as he felt blood trickling from his left nostril. "Now my nose is bleeding, too! He'll see!"  
Waving his arms and hands before a perplexed Majin who remained motionless, Bujin of Universe 6 cried out, "Power of Illusion!"  
His power spread throughout the entire stadium... All living beings within the perimeter saw the same illusion. Strange clocks twirled and spun around the ring, which had become a luminous ball that changed colour every four seconds.  
In the Universe 6 wing, Zangya, the woman in the group commented, "Well, well. He improved his technique? Since when?"  
"Not bad," said the space pirate. "This technique quickly destabilizes weak minds and increases the strength of his telekinesis. That Majin Buu looks like a kid stuffed with marshmallows. He's even the same color as one! He won't last long.  
Bujin had laid his hands on the ground, which had begun to crumble as large chunks of rock began to levitate in the air between Bujin and Buu, who observed all of this with an amused eye.  
"Ooh! Magic! He said with a grin on his face.  
"Hmph, you won't be smiling for long," thought Bujin.  
he used his power of telekinesis to throw the ten metal-colored blocks at Buu. Though the velocity of the projectiles was staggering, the Djinn easily dodged them with little amused shouts of "Oh, oh". As a slightly larger chunk was about to hit him, Buu jumped up, playing leapfrog with it...  
"INCREDIBLE!" exclaimed one of the 12 announcers into one of the two microcphones. "Majin Buu of the universe 11 is provoking his adversary by playing with his attacks!  
"Take that!" cried Bujin as he channeled his power.  
The projectiles suddenly regrouped, hitting the djinn in his stomach, causing him to fly off the ground. Unfortunately for Bujin, the attack did no damage to his opponent. Worse, the djinn was still playing! Buu used the 'Buku Jutsu' technique to fly around the ring quickly and hit Bujin right behind his head. Bujin stumbled and fell forward, while Buu landed quietly at his feet. Buu's adversary got up quickly, tears streaming from his eyes due to the immense pain, while his left nostril started to bleed once again. Majin Buu grinned, amused by Bujin's pain.  
"This isn't over, yet!" cried Bujin as he attempted to use his telekinesis once more.  
"That's it?" sighed Majin Buu, disappointed and no longer laughing. "But I can do magic too, look!"  
Smiling once again, Buu moved his antenna, whose end illuminated in a pink light for a moment. Suddenly, Bujin's illusion transformed. The ring became a ball of chocolate, the clocks became sugar pancakes, and the projectiles Bujin launched changed into muffins, doughnuts, lollipops, and ice cream.  
"Hmm yummy," said Babidi's creature.  
In the Universe 18 wing, Goku couldn't help but comment, "This is almost making me hungry!"  
Bujin gaped in astonishment. This did not please Buu, who rushed towards him, upset, giving him a strong left hook punch. Bujin, awakened by the blow, got up once more, discovering a second swollen cheek. Now he was bleeding from both nostrils. "This guy is too fast and too strong" he thought, angry.  
He tried once again to use his telekinesis to send his opponent right into a chocolate éclair and cream puff.  
Buu swallowed the cream puff and caught the chocolate éclair in his arms, sending it back at Bujin immediately with a grunt. Bujin failed to dodge the éclair and it crushed him. Finding himself on the ground, Bujin found it incredibly difficult to escape from the heavy éclair... When he finally succeeded, he realized that it was the fourth time he had been knocked down. Still kneeling and breathless, he became more angry. Bojack and Zangya had never before seen him in such a state of defeat... Buu's illusion faded and the stadium was brought back into vision.  
"This Bujin is nothing compared to Buu," Vegeta declared, losing interest in the fight.  
"Yeah, not surprising," specified his rival Goku, whose eyes were fixed on the ring above his head.  
"He still has at least one more technique left. When he used it on me, I was paralyzed and lost control of my Ki... I couldn't become a Super Saiyan... Maybe it'll work on Buu, too," Gohan said, before suddenly remembering that once he became a Super Saiyan 2, he had broken through the technique with ease.  
From the Universe 11 wing, Babadi grew weary of the games. "Majin Buu!" he cried in his old, scratchy, and frail voice. "Hurry up and finish him!"  
But the Djinn did not budge. He still wanted to have a little more fun.  
Finally rising to his feet, Bujin had recovered a bit in the calmness. He thought to himself, "This Majin Buu... he's very strong... and very fast, too... I'll have to use my most powerful technique.  
"Energy Bonds!" he cried, holding out his arms before him.  
Instantly, nearly invisible lines of energy came out of Bujin's fingers, making strange sounds and quickly encircling Majin Buu. If Buu were to move, the bonds would tighten, preventing the movement of the Djinn. But he didn't seem bothered...  
Over the last several decades, Bujin had improved this technique. At first, it only blocked the enemy's movements. Then, it had evolved to restrict the Ki of his prisoner and block it. This power was very effective on many people. In general, once Bujin would paralyze his opponent, one of his friends would take the opportunity to give the coup de grâce.  
However, this time, Bujin had to defeat his opponent alone. He used his technqiue to fully sense the power of his opponent... and was paralyzed in fear.  
"This guy, what a huge amount of Ki! It's impossible! It easily surpasses Master Bojack's Ki! Fortunately, I've developed my technique to make it work on anyone!" Bujin sneered.  
"Now you die! This technique can cut through Katchin, the hardest metal in the universe!" He shouted to his opponent, who was still paralyzed. "MAX POWER!" he finally said, focusing the strength of his technique.  
The bonds then tightened, closing up suddenly with incredibly force. Buu, himself, was surprised: he had just been divided into fifteen pieces! His master Babadi was shocked and gasped. Even though he knew the regenerative capacity of Majin Buu, he didn't like see his "baby" undergo such things. Next to him, Dabra smiled. It didn't really bother him if Buu were to be defeated like this. But he also knew that he would survive. Meanwhile in the 18th Universe, Gohan imagined being a victim of this technique, when he confronted Bujin so long ago... He hadn't stand of a chance...  
“Aha!” Bujin cried, blood still flowing from his nose. “I won! My technique is the ultimate!”  
Suddenly, almost as quickly as they had been cut, the pieces of Majin Buu regrouped and recollected, and his pink body reappeared in good health, his childish face smiling...Bujin was speechless. Buu waited for a response, but none came. He then looked to Babadi in his world, who gave him the signal. Buu then rushed to Bujin, who still did not move. After all, he had played his final card...  
But a cry from Zangya managed to wake him in time. Buu seemed to attack the right, with a punch. Bujin tried to protect himself by placing both hands in front of him. But the blow came from the left to hit him in the face. A second shot hit the belly, as Bujin recoiled, staggering under the impact of the first assault. He had no time to counter and was again struck in the right, without seeing anything... Bujin fell on his back and fell into unconsciousness.

Buu celebrated his victory by placing one foot on Bujin’s chest, raising one arm with clenched fists. The audience applauded, and the announcers declared Buu the winner.  
“Dabra,” said the sorcerer Babidi, smiling. “Can you ask our guests if we can have some candy for our Majin Buu?”  
“Tss... at your service...” the demon said reluctantly. He thought to himself, “How stupid can he be! That tub of lard can make his own stupid rewards with a mere thought!”  
While Dabra was about to enter Universe 11’s apartment to find an organizer, the Z-fighters discussed Buu’s strength. “He looks just as powerful as when I faced him as a Super Saiyan 3,” Goku said with a smile. “He shows promise.”  
“It's a shame,” lamented Uub, “I thought I’d finally be able to see the power of my incarnation, but this fight hasn’t shown much...”  
“Oh yeah,” replied Goku. “It’s true that Mr. Buu from our universe never fought with as much passion as he did when he was evil... So, I guess his next opponent will be... the South Kaioshin?”  
“The Supreme Kaioshin that we know told us that the South Kaioshin was the most powerful of the gods. If I remember correctly,” Gohan said, his arms crossed. “He was killed by Kid Buu...”  
“So it could be a very good fight in the second round,” Goku said. He turned to his pupil. “Uub, I think you’ll see Buu’s true power by that point.”  
“So by then I will have fought once... I wonder who my opponent will be...”  
“Hmm... a fight with Dabra wouldn’t be too bad. You’re certainly stronger than him anyway,” Goku said looking to the Universe 11 space along with his friends.  
At that time, Buu had just returned to his world to claim his reward of candy (Dabra that brought in his arms). Looking at Universe 11, the 18th Universe finally noticed someone in Universe 12. He was a young man who had just come out of his private space. He had long hair, purple, almost fell over his shoulders, and carried a sword on his back, which gave him the look of a charismatic warrior. But his eyes were hard as he looked at the Universe 11 wing next to him. While Majin Buu looked like a silly little kid, the young warrior in the blue jacket distrusted him with extreme caution.  
“Hey! That’s Trunks!” Gohan yelled.  
“Huh? Are they calling me?” asked Universe 18’s Trunks.  
“Not you,” said Vegeta, “The one from Universe 12.”  
Vegeta was indeed the first to notice the Trunks who came from the future to prevent the attack of #17 and #18. But he said nothing.  
“I'll go talk to him,” Gohan was already starting, alone this time.  
Goku and Uub remained in their space like Vegeta, but kept an eye on Universe 12.  
As Gohan walked quietly towards Trunks, Bojack and Zangya from Universe 6 talked about Bujin, who had just returned from a Healer Namek.  
“He lost, what an idiot,” said the blue woman with orange hair.  
“His opponent is endowed with a weird ability to regenerate. Bujin stood no chance,” said Bojack quietly, who did not want to repeat the same mistake he did by killing Bido for his incompetence...  
“If it was you who had fought him, would you have won?” Zangya asked.  
“Who knows,” the space mercenary simply said. “I would simply pulverised him. I doubt he’ll regenerate once he’s blown to a billion pieces,” Bojack boasted a smile before cackling loudly.“This Bujin is stronger than the one we fought against before, but Buu defeated him so easily,” thought Universe 12’s Trunks. He had indeed fought Bojack’s Gang once, with Gohan and the others...

“Are you the Trunks who came from the future?” asked a voice he recognized behind him.  
“Oh! Son Gohan! But… Why are you asking me this again?”  
“So you recognize me but ... you haven’t traveled back in time?” Gohan asked again as he began to think that this Trunks was not the one he knew.  
“Well, yes, but you've already asked me...”  
“Uh ...”  
Gohan and Trunks both remained perplexed for a few seconds. Trunks noticed the presence of his father in Universe 18 and not far from him he saw Videl ... who was also present in Universe 16 ... and there was another Gohan! Trunks understood immediately.  
“Oh, I get it,” he said suddenly. “You’re not from Universe 16?”  
“Oh no, I'm from the 18th,” Son Gohan said with a glance of the universe 16 that had intrigued him since they arrived. “I suppose,” continued the semi-Saiyan, “it was the other me out there who had already come to talk to you, then?”  
“Indeed, it was a few hours ago.”  
“So I'll avoid asking the same questions,” said Gohan with one hand behind his head, a bit embarrassed.  
“It wouldn’t bother me, you know. And to answer you, yes. I was from the future. We even fought Cell together, and it was you who won. You grew up very differently from adult Gohan who was my mentor.  
“We meet again, but this time I'm the elder... And I imagine that the world we live in shapes the personality of the people.” Gohan tried to explain the difference between him and his counterpart of the future that Trunks had known. “If I remember correctly, he continued, the whole thing happened there about... thirty years ago! It should be much less for you right?  
“About ten years, yes. I am glad that my father is doing well in your universe. In the sixteenth, he disappeared, from what I understood.”  
“Hm... So there really was something that made the world different from ours... Universe 16...” Gohan was thoughtful. “So, you don’t know more?”  
“Not really ... There I only know Piccolo, you and myself... so ...”  
“I see... it's not easy to integrate with a group of people that you don't know well... In Universe 13, there are three Saiyans who are with your father...”  
“I saw them earlier. I didn’t go talk to him... He didn’t inspire me as much as your Vegeta did. He looked even colder than he did when I first met him ten years ago. In the past… I mean ... um ...”  
“Thirty years ago, completed Gohan smiling. These time-travel stories can get chaotic sometimes... It’s hard to backtrack...”  
“The worst was with Cell ... I'm still not sure I understand his history... Especially when he said he had killed me to take the machine to travel back in time...”  
“You can always ask... I'll leave you alone. But a word of advice: I went to talk to him just now and... I can’t be certain of what he says...”  
“Cell is an intelligent creature,” assured Trunks, “if he feels that he has no interest in telling us the truth ... He won’t tell us...”  
“What is certain is that he beat us all...”  
“It’s the same for the androids of Universe 14. In that universe, I had to have been killed before leaving in the past... or I might have been killed in the past and never went back... or something...”  
“There’re lots of possibilities,” cut off Gohan who already knew what Trunks would say. “But actually... We should all be dead in this world too, which might’ve allowed #17 and #18 to dominate.”  
“I hope my mother is fine, at least...” Trunks was uneasy.  
“Don’t worry, she's a fighter. I'm sure she survived. She survived well with your father!” said Gohan as a joke.  
“Yes it's true,” said Trunks with a little laugh too. “At least he became good thanks to her...Unlike the "Prince Vegeta" of Universe 13. I wonder what his reaction would have been if my mother had come to watch the tournament...  
“She wasn’t interested in us,” said Gohan.  
“I know, same thing with me. She had a lot of important work on the road. The Capsule Corp. was back in service, better than before!”  
“Oh that's right! So rebuilding your world is going well, then?”  
“Yes. Oh also I have someone to introduce to you. He’s still inside but is expected soon to join me...”  
“Oh? A son, perhaps?” Gohan asked, smiling.  
“Oh, uh...” Trunks began blushing. “I might have a steady girlfriend but not a child...”  
“It will come!” Gohan assured that he still saw Trunks as his former mentor. “I’ll confess that for me it was faster than I would have thought.”  
“Do you have children?”  
“A daughter, Pan. I'll introduce you if you want.”  
“It would be an honor, Gohan!”  
“I’ll return with her,” said Gohan starting.  
“Wait... seriously... what do you think of this tournament?” asked Trunks  
“I don’t know... How about you?”  
“I’m having trouble fully trusting the Vargas... but when they told me about alternate universes, I immediately hoped to find you, my father, and all the others. It was good that I came!”  
“Yes, that’s so true! This is a unique opportunity and in fact... # 16!”  
Gohan had observed the android. The large robot, completely artificial, with orange hair (with the same hair-style as Uub), wearing a green armor with the symbol of Capsule Corp, came out of interior space to join Trunks and Gohan at a quiet pace. Gohan was surprised to see him appear so.  
“Ah, there you are,” Trunks was turning to the android. “I found him in the rubble of the laboratory of Dr. Gero,” he said to Gohan. “Mom had rebuilt him and now, #16 is one of the cornerstones in the reconstruction of our world.”  
“#16!” Gohan repeated when the robot was in front of him. “You saved our world too, you know... It’s thanks to you that we beat Cell. I'm really happy to see you!”  
“Trunks told me,” replied the android, in a rather serious voice. We are both willing to protect nature. So I'm helping to rebuild the world as I can.”  
“And are you participating?”  
A smile lit up the face of large robot. “Yes, I did not want to at first, but... when I felt the presence of Son Gokus, I changed my mind. It seems that there are several here. I would like to kill at least one.”  
“Uh ... Well, my wife seems bored by herself,” said Gohan suddenly noticing that Videl was alone sitting on a bench. “I'll go. I’ll return with Pan later, Trunks. Good luck!”  
Trunks and #16 watched Gohan jump over the wall to escape the morbid discussion, as he headed for his wife... # 16 took the opportunity to ask Trunks. “I guess my sense of humor was not well received?”  
Next to the puzzled android, Trunks laughed.  
When Gohan saw Videl bored alone on this bench, he only thought of her. He didn't like the fact that he had been neglecting his wife to go and have fun, even if she was close by. This was partly because he had to cut his discussion with Trunks and #16 short. However, he still had so much to ask! But it was only a short delay, Gohan promised to return later with Pan.  
Gohan reached the low wall that separated him from Videl and noticed that she had not taken her eyes off him since he left Universe 12. He effortlessly jumped of the wall and joined his wife, sitting next to her, wrapping his arm around her back.  
"I saw an old friend. Trunks from the future. You know, against Cell..."  
"Wait... what? What are you talking about?" Videl interrupted. "We spoke to him an hour ago..."  
"Huh?"  
"Ahem," another Gohan, standing to the left of the one sitting next to Videl, imitated a cough in order to be noticed.

"Whaaaa!! I'm in the wrong space!" Gohan suddenly yelled, jumping up, blushing and embarrassed. He immediately apologized to his counterpart.  
"I'm really sorry!"  
"It's nothing... I guess," Gohan laughed. How could he possibly blame himself?  
Universe 16's Videl found herself facing two perfectly identical Gohans. She blushed, embarrassed, too. Next to her, Videl thought she heard a faint voice.  
"Hey Gohan, what are you doing there?"  
Videl from Universe 18 had approached them. Even worse, she had traveled through Universe 17. Alone, without even flinching, she quietly walked past Cell, who tracked her movements with his eyes.  
"Hi Mom!"  
Pan appeared behind her mother along with Pan from Universe 18 (who appeared from a different direction). Fortunately, the two girls were dressed differently, so it was easy to distinguish between them, unlike the two Gohans and Videls.  
"Hello, Pan," Videl said, remaining seated on the bench.  
U18 Pan wanted to discuss with her mother from an alternate universe, but she immediately noticed that her counterpart was quickly approaching with a smile.  
Although they were dressed differently, both Pans immediately recognized and approached each other joyfully. U16 Pan, dressed in canvas pants and two long-sleeved t-shirts, grabbed her U18 counterpart, and they embraced each other, laughing.  
"That's so wierd!" said the two girls in unison.  
"I never thought I'd actually see myself here!" rejoiced one of the two young girls.  
"Me neither!" replied the other. "This deserves a souvenir photo!"  
"Yeah! I thought so, too! Luckily, I brought my camera!"  
"Me too! I'll go get it right now," said Universe 18's Pan.  
"No, come with me," replied Universe 16's Pan. "We'll take mine; it's much closer."  
Pan grabbed her counterpart's hand and took her inside to the Universe 16 alcove.  
Her counterpart reacted immediately. "Oh, normally I'm not allowed to come here. Even if..."  
"I don't think there'll be any problem," they concluded at the same time.  
She laughed again and continued to walk down.  
"Hold on, shh..." the Pan with the T-shirt suddenly whispered. "Grandpa's still asleep... Try not to wake him up."  
"Grandpa came, too?" asked the student of U18 Goku, imagining that she was talking about Mr. Satan.  
"Of course. He wouldn't have missed it for the world! Wait, this is my room. I'll be right back, okay?"  
U16 Pan entered the room that she had designated as her one. For a minute, U18 Pan remained alone, looking for the eyes of Mr. Satan somwhere, but it was too dark. ... However, there was no more time to check. Her other self had left the room with a capsule in her hand.  
"Let's go back outside!" she said, leading U18 Pan by grabbing her hand once again.  
As they left, they noticed that the two versions of Trunks and Goten were talking. Beside them, the Gohans and Videls were discussing, while the two Piccolos, not far away, remained motionless.

As U16 Pan activated the capsule, U18 Pan moved quickly to ask Piccolo a question.  
"Are you not going to talk to your counterpart in my Universe, Mr. Piccolo?"  
"I'm not really the type that likes to talk about myself... Anyway, I see you're wearing the Nyoï Bo. Who trained you?"  
"Well, my grandpa did," Pan said proudly. "Son Goku!"  
"Goku?" Piccolo was surprised. "Ah, I should have guessed... Well, then. Tell him I said hello, okay?" he finally said with a smile.  
Pan was left motionless for a moment as she wondered what the Universe 16 Namek could have possibly meant, when suddenly, her alter-ego called. She was ready to take the photo.  
Quickly returning a smile, the two Pans embraced each other arm in arm and took the pose. The little flying machine intelligently positioned itself in front of them, quickly managing its altitude and distance from the girls, before taking the shot under a light flash. Two copies came out of the slot. U16 Pan walked over to remove them and pressed the button on the machine to recapsule it and put it away. Universe 18's Pan walked close by again to take a copy of the photo. Both Pans were delighted to have this memory in their hands.  
As the two girls excitedly discussed the photo, both Trunks's and Gotens were chatting nearby.  
"So, did you..." began Universe 18's Goten.  
"Subscribe Gotenks?" U16 Trunks finished, "Yes we did," he added smiling.  
"It'd be fun if we were to meet in the tournament!" said U16 Goten, excitedly  
"Yeah, but I wonder how it'd end!" U18 Trunks replied. "But I especially hope that the fusion doesn't fail. If it does, that would be horrible!"  
"For sure," U16 Trunks added.  
"Say, guys," began U16 Goten, "Trunks and I have a few little things we need to adjust. Is that okay?"  
"Of course," said Universe 18's Trunks after glancing at his friend from his own universe. "I think we already know what we need to do," he added with another glance to his counterpart.  
"We'll meet again, then," said U18 Goten, wrapping his arms over his counterpart's shoulders.  
The two groups both separated. Both Trunks's headed immediately to Universe 12, where they hoped to discuss with their alternate self. They hoped to hear a lot, including about their mother.U18 Goten, after watching his friend and his friend's double take off, asked his counterpart, "So... you wanna talk about... our girlfriends?"  
"Absolutely!" the other grinned. "It's not every day that you can think about the same thing twice at the same time!"

Goku, Uub and Vegeta had decided to leave Universe 18's wing. The former Prince of Saiyans intended to visit his son in Universe 12 out of curiosity to see how Bulma was doing. But when he saw his 2 sons heading over to talk to the third, he changed his mind, only to follow Goku into Universe 16's wing. After all, there were still many mysteries to discover about these alternate universes.  
When they arrived, they observed those present. They had noticed two Gotens, two Gohans, two Videls, Piccolo , two Pans and a girl who looked strikingly similar to Bra. At first glance the two Pans seemed similar, except for the clothing.  
"We're all the same here, unless...?" Goku began, desperately trying to formulate a conclusion.  
The two Gohans approached each other and U18 Gohan asked, "Why did the Vargas choose our two universes if they are identical?"  
"There is a difference..." Universe 16 Gohan noticed Goku, watching him as if he had not seen him for twenty years. "And it's quite a large one..."  
"I don't seem to be here," remarked Uub as he continued to search for a counterpart.  
"Oh my! ... Grandpa!"  
Universe 16's Pan suddenly abandoned her counterpart and jumped onto Goku grabbing his neck, tears in her eyes, but with the same cheerful smile. Uub, surprised, stepped back in the wake of the girl's spirit.  
"At last I meet you!" Pan said as she wept on the neck of her grandfather. Meanwhile, Goku's pupil approached the gaze of the Saiyan.  
"Ho, two Pans! That's so cute! Hmm...." Goku began to formulate a hypothesis.  
"So, in your universe, would I be dead... again?" he wondered aloud, glancing towards the sky as he imagined the halo of an angel above his head.  
Vegeta almost chuckled. On one hand, it amused him that his friend was still dead in the other Universe. Then again, where was he...? "Does that mean I'm dead too?!" he thought to himself, his smile fading at thethought.  
A calm, rough voice suddenly sounded through the doorway of the entrance to Space 16. ... A shadow and a single hand covered with a white glove, emerged first.  
"Clearly, our two universes separated the moment I appeared..."  
As he exited the shadow of the entrance, the warrior revealed himself.

He was average height with a strong build. His black hair was raised up and a few strands fell over his forehead. He emitted an incomparable presence. The man was dressed in a blue tunic, under which lied an orange gi. On his ears were two visible earrings. He was a Saiyan... or rather, the fusion of two Saiyans. At his appearance, Vegeta and Goku were incredibly surprised.  
"Vegetto!!" They shouted simultaneously, both fighters taking one step back under the effect of the surprise.Goku and Vegeta stood still as the reflection of their old fusion, Vegetto, proceeded calmly. He had a stern look, but a friendly smile. He pulled up alongside Bra.  
"So that's what makes us different then," thought Gohan.  
Piccolo of Universe 16 thought that there were too many people in that space... he took advantage of everyone's attention on Vegetto to overshadow his disappearance.

"How did you beat Majin Buu if you and Vegeta didn't fuse into me?" Vegetto asked Goku as Pan rested.  
"Oh I see... Buu is locked within this boy," analyzed Vegetto after a quick glance at the young man in dark skin. "How did you do that?"  
"Hm... Well, it's a bit complicated," Goku began.  
"After we fused into becoming Vegetto, we were absorbed by Majin Buu," Vegeta said. "Once we dropped the energy shield, our bodies separated and I crushed the Potala earrings."  
"So this is where our universes differed... I almost chose to do the same and drop the barrier. But, after some hesitation, I finally opted to keep it.  
"Oh, that reminds me," said Goku suddenly. "We never knew why our bodies had separated."  
A brief moment of silence settled. Everyone thought about it for a few seconds before Vegetto broke this moment.  
He said to himself, "Had I known at the time, If I had let down the shield, I would have become Goku and Vegeta once more..."  
He did not need to finish his sentence. He did not need to. Everyone understood what he was implying. Uub came forward and offered a solution. "There's a Majin Buu in Universe 11. Maybe you could ask him to–  
"No," the fused Saiyan cut off Uub in the middle of his sentence. "Today, and as of twenty years ago, I am a whole person. I am Vegetto... Goku and Vegeta are dead.  
"So I was finally right, somehow..." Goku said with a small smile."We could go and ask the Kaioshin of Universe 1 about our fission in Buu's body," Vegetto proposed. "But before that, how did that boy appear?" he asked, pointing at Uub.  
"This is Uub, my student. He is the reincarnation of Majin Buu. I think King Enma fulfilled my wish after I defeated Majin Buu.  
"King Enma? Tsss... He refused me this favor, especially because of you," said Vegetto in severe regard to Vegeta.  
"Me?! I am part of you, so it's your fault too." retorted the Prince of Saiyans.  
Vegetto smiled before asking Uub, "How strong are you?"  
Uub was silent for a few seconds. "You'll see in my fights" he replied timidly, but also dryly and with respect. He had not appreciated the fact that Vegetto had cut him off earlier.  
"I can't wait to see it! And otherwise, what have you done for the last twenty years?"  
"We've been training!" responded Goku.  
"To push the limits of the Saiyan body," Vegeta added. "And you?"  
"I've been working around for the sake of... well, justice. What else?" Vegetto answered.  
"Eat Chichi's good dishes," said Goku suddenly, remembering that Buu's battle against Bujin had made him hungry.  
"Ah, yes!" Vegetto almost cried, losing all seriousness. "It makes me hungry already! I always loved her chicken!"  
"Oh, really?" Goku asked, also losing all seriousness.And for a few minutes, Vegetto and Goku faced off, drooling stupidly listing all of the dishes they loved most. But they tried to regain some semblance of seriousness when Videl asked shyly, "Excuse me, um... Mr. Vegetto, how do you deal with... um ... Bulma and Chichi?"  
"Good question!" Vegetto snapped out of his trance as the whole Universe 18 waited for his answer. "It's still funny, I think you asked me the same thing twenty years ago," he said looking at the Videl of his universe, who acknowledged with a nod of his head. "Simply put, I haven't completely abandoned Chichi, but I'm in a relationship with Bulma... with whom I had a daughter named Bra."  
A silence... Vegetto stared at Universe 18, but could not find what he sought. He then asked, "Tell me, Vegeta. Is it going well with Bulma?"  
"Of course, you fool! What do you think?" Vegeta snapped.  
"You don't have a second child?"  
"I do, she's also named Bra"  
"She didn't come? Wouldn't she be very strong?"  
"Not as strong as she should be... it's her mother's fault. But yes she's here."  
"Well I don't see her anywhere?"  
Vegeta scanned the area for her too... with his eyes. Because in this arena, it was nearly impossible to properly sense or distinguish the auras unless they were nearby. "So where did she disappear off to?" Vegeta wondered.  
"She was walking around, we walked past her earlier," specified Gohan of Universe 18.  
"She's over there," pointed Uub... who turned a little red when everyone looked at him. But he stood his ground and stated, "She's talking to the girls in Universe 6."  
"There's Bojack," Gohan said.  
"I'll go. You never know what can happen in a place like this," offered Bra of Universe 16, who spoke for the first time before those of Universe 18, starting immediately.

As she passed by the Universe 6 wing, Universe 18's Bra could not help but notice the group of four girls dressed in old-fashioned and dated clothes. The fifth girl in Universe 6 was a red-head. Her and Bojack's sidekick, Bujin, was still unconscious at their feet. Bra decided to go see the group of four to discuss... After all, they were all girls, here... it was rare at to see them at tournaments like this and they could probably find similarities, even if their clothing tastes were not the best.They were considered friendly at first, and the discussion started well. Bra couldn't remember all the names. ... There was this long-haired girl named Kat, and there was Syd. But who was this one already? Bra could no longer remember..  
Anyway, they soon talked about fashion and the ideas between the two groups were very different. The tone rose slightly. A few friendly insults rang out, and some of the girls giggled, which annoyed the red-head Zangya elsewhere.  
But it was not serious. After all, this type of "disputes" was common among girls. But in the context of the tournament, it could create problems.Fortunately, U16 Bra reached the Universe 6 wing. With her relatively more imposing stature (compared U18 Bra's), she calmed the enthusiasm of the other girls and almost ordered the other Bra to return to her space... Turning their backs to Universe 6, the two Bras started when U16 Bra suddenly heard Zangya whisper, "Good riddance". She turned and stared down the redhead and said, "You, you're no better than the others..."  
Zangya almost freaked out and hit that "bitch" as her smile faded, but Bojack placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Thus, the two Bras left Universe 6 smoothly. Walking side by side, U16 Bra asked, "So, did you learn anything interesting about them? Their power?"  
"Not at all. I don't really care about such things."  
"But you're... nothing," U16 Bra was forced to tell her counterpart.  
"Don't tell me that, you're worse!" U18 Bra retorted. "You and your tomboy tank-top! You look like you're going to fight like a delinquent!"  
"What about you?" said U16 Bra, stopping, almost shocked.  
U18 Bra did not reply and continued to march back to Universe 18's wing... U16 Bra went on her way to her own Universe's wing passing many other Universes, including Universe 12, where she noticed her brother, Trunks and U18 Trunks discussing with U12 Trunks. As she passed, she allowed herself to listen.  
"So, what are you doing in life," asked Trunks, carrying a sword on his back.  
"I'm a CEO. I sit behind a desk," answered one of the two other Trunks's  
"Sometimes I fire people," added the other. "I spend a lot of time looking at my secretary."  
"Sometimes I pretend to read reports," said the second Trunks, turning his head. Both their lives did not seem very different.  
The two Trunks's smiled, which confirmed that they were indeed identical. One of them said, "I often go on walks with the ladies in Accounting. There are so many pretty young girls who always greet me in the morning, saying, 'Good Mooooooooooooooooorning Mr. Briefs' and then giggling."  
Future Trunks' eyes had widened as he listened to his two counterparts. They were completely different from him. He then made a list of his own activities:  
"I help reconstruct the whole Earth. I give food to those who have lost everything. I try to make the world better, as before. There are villages that haven't any water or resources for years. #16 and I can easily travel quickly with capsules. Almost no planes have been flying recently, but we've been able to rebuild manufacturing plants at the same level as twenty years ago. It's been a few months since we've been able to mass-produce capsules. And finally, I work in the fields, often by hand, to help rebuild an effective crop market. The old Androids liked to burn crops and leave us at the brink of starvation.  
This time, it was U16 and U18 Trunks who were shocked. There was a great moment of awkward silence... Bra left without knowing how the Trunks's would restart their discussion. What made her feel safe was that the Trunks who wielded a sword seemed much more mature than her brother... U12 Trunks had told about his adventure and his maturity was undoubtedly because of his experiences...  
The 12 announcers suddenly announced the next fight: Tidar of Universe 19 against Uub of Universe 18. Goku's student received some words of encouragement from Universe 16 and his master, and flew to the ring.  
Universe 16's Bra returned to her space as Vegeta and Goku returned to their own. Unfortunately, the two parties did not cross paths. Bra found it a shame, as she wanted to talk to them a little, also. But she understood that they wanted to observe the fight of one of their own seriously.  
As she jumped over the wall of Universe 16, Bra glanced at Universe 19. The famous Tidar was preparing to enter the scene..Tidar had no intention of losing. He had been trained for that, and after many years of practice, he had mastered his armor. Tidar was indeed the oldest of the military elite commando on Helior, their home planet. The group was composed of the best fighters with the best technology. They were directly selected by representatives of the Supreme Council of the Heliotes. And the group arrived in order to make a wish on their behalf.  
A fighter with a big heart, Tidar had engraved two principles into his brain: fight and win.  
"Careful, Tidar," said one of his companions behind him, "My radar's getting some crazy readings on this group. Use full strength from the beginning."  
"Right," he replied simply, before thinking, "no need to tell me."  
Motivated, he activated his jetpack, with an old reactor connected to the back, and flew into the ring. During the few seconds of flight, Tidar grumbled inwardly. He was wearing armor from the previous generations, but from what they had seen so far... it should be more than enough to win the fight.  
Tidar arrived at the ring, where his opponent, Uub of Universe 18, was waiting calmly.  
The latter was also ready to win. Equally motivated, he could not see himself disappoint Goku nor Vegeta, for whom he had gained great respect as a result of his fight with Goku nine years ago.  
Tidar barely had time to land one foot onto the ring, when suddenly...  
"Let the fight begin!" cried the announcer, as Uub nervously assumed his fighting stance.Immediately, Tidar reactivated his jet-pack and rushed right over to his opponent. Despite the armor's size and bulk, his speed was quite impressive. He raised his fists, never imagining that he'd have to resort to using such a pathetic move. However, he had been able to judge Uub's speed. The latter easily dodged his opponent with a quick dash to the side. As the nano-warrior maneuvered his jet-pack, he drew his first conclusion. Uub was moving very fast, without armor too, and without unnecessary movements.  
Anticipating a counterattack, Tidar maneuvered to take off vertically in the air. Luckily for him, he had avoided a right uppercut from Uub. The boy stood down on the ring while the Formerly Elite Fighter flew higher, several feet above him. Tidar thought to himself, "What's going on? Doesn't he know how to fly? Even still, it wouldn't matter. It'd be the exact same scenario even if all he knew was how to jump high enough."  
He descended to the ground a little further, turning off his jet-pack and preparing his next attack as Uub resumed his fighting stance with a smile.  
In Universe 19, several members of the Elite Commando discussed.  
"He seems to know what he's doing," said one.  
"That's good," said another, "But this dark-skinned boy is far from fully–"  
"You think the boy's just testing Tidar's power level?" asked the first man.  
There was no response... the other man didn't reply. A mere look at the ring spoke volumes. He hoped that Tidar wouldn't underestimate his opponent. His fear suddenly vanished for a moment when he recognized Tidar assuming the strike position for performing the missile attack that he knew so well.  
Uub attacked. Tidar activated his armor and rapidly fired his missiles. His armor seemed to morph, especially in the back. Several flaps opened to reveal mini-missile launchers. Forty shots were released, whistling, humming, and emitting thick smoke. The attack lasted no longer than three seconds. However, the young fighter had plenty of time to avoid and even play leap-frog with the missiles. It was not difficult for Uub to avoid the attack and he soon found himself right in front of the grand Tidar, who had seen Uub vanish for a movement; his eyes were unable to follow him.  
Uub struck his palms against the mighty soldier's torso, but not with maximum force. Nevertheless, Tidar flew backwards, crashing heavily on his back, smashing half of the missile launchers. As he rose, he noticed that Uub was looking at his own hand with a strange look."Woah," Uub spoke aloud, "His armor weighs a ton! Good thing I'm okay right now. ... If I had hit him harder without noticing, I..."  
He stopped, clearly hearing a strange whistle... the missiles had returned to him!  
"Homing missiles... His electronics have better reflexes than he does," laughed Uub.  
With a single wave of his arm, Uub created a shockwave that exploded all the missiles into nothing but large clouds of smoke after a deafening noise... Suddenly, the clouds seemed to head towards Uub, who dodged them with several backward somersaults."These explosions are very powerful and concentrated," Uub analyzed once far enough. The clouds dissipated quickly without reaching him. "Are these... chemical clouds? Woah! It's a good thing I didn't touch any of them."  
"Hmm, your student is quite cautious," remarked Gohan to Goku in Universe 18's wing.  
"Oh, you think so?" Vegeta replied with, again, an unpleasant look.  
"Those acrobatics just brought him closer to Tidar," Goku said, his eyes fixed on the fighting.  
Tidar used the distraction to take the advantage and because of Uub's distraction to grab him from behind. The latter's reflexes kicked in and Uub elbowed the man, breaking free from his grip. He walked away, leaving Universe 19's fighter's armor's right flank broken as a result of the impact. Uub turned around an assumed a defensive stance, staring down his opponent.  
Tidar knelt on one knee, one hand lying limp on his thigh, the other on the ground. He clenched his teeth in pain from the blow.  
In Universe 19's wing, everyone suddenly seemed disappointed, as if they were watching a sports game in which a key player had lost a great chance to score a point.  
"Shit! Just a little more and it would've been perfect!"  
"If only he had released it a bit later!"  
"God DAMMIT! It was too good of an opportunity!"  
"Don't worry guys, Tidar's not giving up yet! Look at his stance!"  
Next to Universe 19, Goten and Trunk from Universe 18 overheard the men talking about Tidar. However, they didn't understand what the last guy meant. Tidar was just kneeling in a weakened state. The two friends looked at each other, unsure of what they should expect. But EVERYONE understood a few seconds later.  
All around Uub, ten cylindrical objects seemed to rise out of the ground. The young man jumped at the same time as the strange objects exploded. The flames rose to devour Uub's pant's leg, cutting it short. His boots and skin withstood the heat, besides a minor burn here and there.  
"Tsk, what a joke," said Uub. "These bombs... he had to have launched them when he put his hand on the ground..."Tidar didn't stop there. He activated his other gadgets quickly. He aimed his left arm towards his opponent, his left cuff shot off three blue laser beams and Uub was able to barely able to move his arm in time. Tidar spun and pointed his second arm, shooting three more laser beams. Uub jumped again, suddenly screaming in pain as a shot hit his arm. He looked at his left arm where there were three intense burn marks, depicting the immense power in the laser beams. Avoiding more bursts, Uub rushed towards Tidar to attack, but he inadvertently activated another defense mechanism.  
From the cuff of Tidar's left arm, came a small missile that exploded two meters from Uub. Suddenly, a gray stripe emerged from it, widening for a split second before morphing into a net. It was made of an extremely resistant special alloy. Tidar hit a button on his forearm and activated the electricity. With the lightning running through the net, the volume began to close in and the temperature rose rapidly.  
Uub yelled, thinking of only one thing: FREEDOM!! Augmenting his strength with a simple Kaioken, he managed to break through the net. His body raged with a crimson red aura as he rushed towards Tidar, on edge. But the armored warrior flew away with his jet-pack.  
This time, Uub attempted to chase his opponent, but his attack was already anticipated. The armored soldier dropped several objects designed to explode at the slightest physical contact. Uub hit each of them individually and sped away right before they exploded.  
Uub's hands felt numb. Despite their small size, the explosives were quite dense. Uub wasted no more time to think about it and dashed up to Tidar. Uub punched Tidar violently, crashing him into the energy shield. The attack created a small shock wave, accompanied by a shrill noise. Tidar tried to kick Uub horizontally, but the latter evaded it and took the opportunity to get behind his enemy.  
Grinning, Uub grabbed Tidar in a bear hug similar to how Tidar had done to Uub earlier. He thought he had the advantage. But his opponent still had more tricks up his sleeve. This time, Tidar sent another electric shock down his armor, making Uub scream violently. The pain was surprisingly strong and as the current continued to flow, the muscles of the young man remained contracted. He could not let go.  
Tidar would normally be protected by his armor. But he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right flank. Remembering his drive to join the Elite Commando Unit, he resisted the pain to the best of his ability. After dozens of seconds, Tidar turned off the electric current, assuming Uub would die by the voltage.Uub stopped screaming, slipping into unconsciousness as he crashed to the floor. Tidar sweated and breathed heavily. His whole body trembled and he was suddenly very cold. He glanced at Uub, who was still smoking as he fell through the air. Tidar smiled to himself, "What luck!"  
"He's gonna fall onto the missiles' shrapnel!" cried one of Tidar's friends in Universe 19.  
"C'mon, wake up, Uub!" yelled a stressed Goku. He didn't want the tournament to end so quickly for his pupil.  
Uub slammed into the ground, the shockwave waking him up. His body in pain, Uub rose painfully and by that time Tidar was shouting in victory. He pressed another button and activated a new trap. The shrapnel burst into flame, creating long red flames rising two meters above the ring... Uub swallowed in fear.

Tidar stopped smiling when he noticed the location of where is opponent was standing. The flames had taken a strange shape, a type of bulb. Unwilling to take any chances, Tidar hurried towards Uub, knowing that there were only a few seconds before the flames dissipated. He maneuvered his jet-pack to get behind Uub. He didn't descend normally to save time, rather he chose to simply turn off the propulsion and crash to the ground. He fell a few meters, and the flames died down as he planted his feet firmly into the ground. Uub was standing before him with his back facing his opponent, his white aura protecting him from the flame.  
"Motherfucker!" yelled Tidar as he released a blade from the right cuff of his armor.  
Uub turned his head, but had no time to avoid the attack.  
"God's Blade!" cried Tidar, giving his blade a quick wave upwards. Suddenly a large wind was emitted from the bottom of the blade moving rapidly towards Uub. Uub covered his face with his arm to protect himself, but he felt nothing. Nothing but a small shockwave. This surprised him, but after all... the sword itself had not touched him.  
"Impossible! He found a way to avoid it!" grumbled one of Tidar's partners.  
"No! Look!"  
The planet-ring... was cut in two. Tidar smiled in certain victory. Uub folded his arms, smiling, too.  
"And?" said Uub, still sneering.  
A sudden silence fell over the area. Suddenly, Uub's left arm came clean off his shoulder and fell to the ground, surprising EVERYONE, including the spectators. Uub stood motionless, staring down at his arm, stunned.  
"Not only did he cut down the ring, but he also cut down Uub's arm!!" yelled the announcer.  
The young warrior looked at his shoulder, afraid of what he would see... Nothing. Well, not really. His arm was lying limp on the floor! Uub's eyes widened, he ceased breathing and the pain of the fierce attack on his left shoulder augmented. No longer able to stand the pain or sight of his arm, he yelled.  
Tidar screamed as well, believing that it'd be fun to gloat and explain how he defeated his opponent.  
"This blade is extendable and forged to a nanometer's dimensions. It cuts through anything!"

Uub lost all sense of reason. Trembling, sweating, with a sudden headache and obscured vision.. he could no longer bear to hear Tidar's words. It was too much! Once again, he had been tricked. What would he tell his teacher? Uub turned quickly to face Tidar, held out his remaining arm and yelled with all his might, releasing a torrent of violent energy that he launched at the man who had cut off his arm.  
Surprised, Tidar had barely had any time to activate his shields. It held out... only for a few seconds...  
"N.. NO!!"  
His shield shone like glass. His armor burst open in a few microseconds and his body vaporized in an instant...  
In Universe 19, 18, and in the audience, everyone was surprised by the terrible attack that left no chance for the Heloïte... Uub, trying to regain his senses, exhaled.  
"Tidar was..." began one of the announcers.  
"Reduced to ashes!" finished a second.  
"Uub is the winner!" announced a third announcer, as the victor picked up his arm.  
In Universe 18's wing, Goku did not seem very happy about the announcement...In one of the chambers allocated to Universe 4, a warrior, awakened by the explosions of missiles, yawned. Literally rising with a bounce, he scratched the antenna on his head, and had a strange feeling. He sensed something very... personal, not far from there. The pink, bipedal creature took three steps forward and looked towards the exit... to the ring where the fight was taking place.  
"Hmm... So that's it..." the great warrior said aloud to himself.  
Stretching quickly, he finally decided to leave the shelter of his space... and left to show the participants of Universe 19.  
After picking up his arm, Uub suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline rising within him. The pain faded and he felt no fatigue. But he knew it would only be temporary. He had to find a way to cure it if the worst happened.  
Jumping rapidly, he landed before his friends in Universe 18. "Quick! Can you fix this?"  
He instinctively directed the question to his master, Son Goku. But the latter, taken aback, could only answer, "Um..."  
"You weren't careful enough," Vegeta said, his arms crossed and head held high, with the air of royalty that he still loved to use.  
"That's not what I'm asking!!" cried the young man, panicked.  
He hyperventilated for a few seconds. He heard the warriors in Universe 19 begin to stir. Some were outraged... and it was his fault...  
"He killed Tidar!" the most edgy of them suddenly shouted, beginning to jump over the small boundary wall. Two, then three of his colleagues hurried to restrain him. Trunks and Goten, more by curiosity than by a desire to defend their space in case of an invasion, rushed over.  
Trunks tried to calm things down. "Well, he'll be revived at the end of the tournament. Don't worry about it?"  
"Don't you have any senzus?" replied Uub, determined to resolve his first priority: to heal his arm!  
"Well, no," replied Goku.  
Uub dropped his head down. He thought desperately to himself, "What am I gonna do?"  
"Ask a Namek," proposed Pan, who thought while noting Piccolo's return to their space.  
"Great idea, Pan!"  
Indeed, they were promised a cure that was within the limits of their means due to the tournament. But could a healer Namek really rebuild an entire arm or stick it back? Well, today was not that day that our heroes could learn the answer to their question. Because before the organizers arrived, someone else made them a proposal...  
"I can heal your arm..." said a voice behind the one-handed boy. "But it won't be for free..."

Uub turned around to come face to face with... Babadi!  
The wizard flew over the small wall, but did not exceed the boundary between Universe 18 and the center of the arena. He was accompanied by Majin Buu on his right and Dabra, who smiled idly, on his left. Of the three, it was the demon who seemed most threatening. Babadi looked like a stumpy, old little creatyre and Majin Buu looked like a big, sweet-eating baby. Appearances were most definitely deceiving.  
"Ha! You can't even do it. It's your Majin Buu who will," Uub replied calmly as he continued to lose blood. "I'm ashamed that my powers came from you!" he said finally, looking at the pink Majin.  
Indeed, Uub had once asked Goku where his power came from. His master had then explained everything about Majin Buu and Babadi. In fact, Goku had taken the chance to tell Uub the whole story, from Raditz's arrival to Frieza's genocide on Namek to Cell's legendary tournament.  
"We're not interested in your deceitful proposal," Piccolo said as he approached, arms crossed, with a menacing, but cautious air.  
"Too bad, just keep bleeding then." replied Babadi in turn, smiling and shrugging.  
Uub's severed arm strangely began to shine a bright, pale light. With an indescribable sound, it rejoined Uub's left shoulder. The wound disappeared in a second, the arm was fully reattached, and even a few pieces of clothing that were cut were replaced.  
Uub had regained his whole body, and was completely cured of his struggle: his breathing suddenly grew calmer, his heart rate fell by half, as if he were at complete rest, and all perspiration ceased. All this surprised Uub. He looked at Babadi, ... who was as surprised as him.The sorcerer turned his head to his Majin Buu, and scolded, "Buu! I didn't tell you to heal him!"  
But the fat creature did not understand what had happened. However, the one who had healed Uub was nearby. Standing as straight as the letter I, arms folded the same way as Vegeta, the tip of his antenna was still glowing. Pink, muscular, with holes in arms and head, the creature had a strange expression. He seemed both friendly and aggressive, giving the impression that it was unwise to annoy him, but that it was also possible to completely start a conversation with him. The effect was even stranger for Uub. for some unclear reason, he found the stranger more friendly than anyone else.  
Telepathically, Uub said, "Thank you very much!"

"It's... Buu!" said Piccolo, sweating at the sight of the being that had once destroyed the Earth. He continued to perspirate profusely as he remembered how he had failed to fight Buu on his own when Gotenks defused and before Gohan's arrival!  
"This is the same Buu as the one we fought," said Goten, Trunks beside him nodding.  
"No, look at his antenna," corrected Gohan. "This Buu seems stronger..."  
"I only did that to hassle Babadi," Buu finally said. He was beginning to fed up that people where making assumptions about him. "Or maybe because you have a little bit of Buu in you," he continued, looking at Uub. "Or it's the fact that all of you exist as absorbed into me, that makes me feel close to you," he finished, looking at everyone in Universe 18.  
"Even me?" Goku asked, as if he might have escaped that criteria.  
"Of course," replied Buu calmly with this clear response... which was followed by supplementary explanations. "Everything that exists and contains some power, in my universe, is now in me."  
The warriors of Universe 18 hadn't said a word, their eyes fixed on the one who was their world's greatest menace... Also, if he really had absorbed everyone in his universe, the fact that he could conceal his power would be just fantastic! However, not a drop of Ki emanated from him. "So that's why we didn't feel him coming," concluded Gohan.  
Beside them, Babadi was frozen. He was there! Before him! It could be him! The TRUE Majin Buu he had tried to resuscitate! Not that big pink balloon he had tortured himself with for the last twenty years! Truth be told, Babadi had never before seen the creation of his father before he had released him. He tried so hard to gather the necessary energy... only to find an obese child!  
"Majin Buu!" he cried, looking euphoric now, raising his arms and his mouth wide open.  
"No."  
Though he had replied simply. However, his eyes were hard... It was so terrifying that Babadi's joyous antics immediately ceased.  
"What do you mean, 'No'?" he managed to ask, perplexed.  
"I am no longer Majin Buu. I am just Buu." He put on a diabolical smile and pointing a finger at Babadi's troupe, he added quietly, "I want to tell you that in my universe, I killed you. And you, Dabra, I turned you into a cookie and ate you. As for you, Majin Buu, I have absorbed you."  
"H-How is this possible? You raised a hand against your master!?"  
Buu extended his arms towards Babadi and illuminated it. He prepared to fire a powerful Ki blast.  
"You're not my master. You never were..." he said gravely as Babadi faced the greatest fear of his life.  
Buu ceased his argument by lowering the arm. He turned without another word and marched to his space: Universe 4.  
"One second!" Goku shouted as if speaking to an ordinary person. "I wanted to know if you've absorbed everything that's in your universe? Along with the houses, islands, and the planets, too? Did you transform the suns into candy?"  
Buu slapped his forehead, muttering to himself. Obviously he should have been clearer when speaking to Son Goku... He turned his back to the group and recognized all the members... little Videl had greatly changed. The two tiny Saiyans had grown into men, and... there were some new family members.  
I have absorbed all the people whose power was interesting to me. Those with gifts or special skills. At the time, if I had more brains than Mr. Candy-Brain over there, I would have absorbed Dabra instead of eating him. As you know, there not many people in the universe that are worthy of being absorbed... But in short, I have not absorbed whole populations.  
He wanted to add for Videl, "Yes... your father is still alive." But he knew that the sentence could easily be interpreted as an insult to his lack of power rather than good news... Her own father in her universe was most probably alive. However, he preferred not to start the topic, as it could continue to a long conversation, the details of which would not please the lady...  
This troop of warriors surely never imagined that he, himself, had personally killed each earthling with a ki blast after a lousy excuse from a desperate Piccolo. Buu was no longer the murderous psychopath he was back then.  
Babidi, still frightened, looked at Uub, then turned on his heel and returned to Universe 11's wing.  
Universe 18 watched both Buu and Babadi's troupe without saying a single word.  
Suddenly, Uub broke the silence after a moment. "I... I'm going to apologize to Universe 19..."  
Goku was slightly surprised. He said nothing and followed his student's eyes. As Uub went around the boundary to Universe 19, two men approached him, while another was holding the man who attempted to assault him earlier. Uub spoke to them for dozens of seconds, apologizing properly, even bowing. The two warriors in armor looked a moment, then one of them, after thinking quickly, closing his eyes and folding his arms, reluctantly accepted the apology.  
When Uub returned, Goku congratulated him for having learned the moral of the experience. To apologize for his action was very big of him. And for Universe 19 to accept the apology was equally big, if not greater! As Uub returned to his teacher's side, the latter laid his hand on his shoulder, smiling, and his student smiled in return, proud.  
Uub's smile suddenly faded, and his faced expressed slight incomprehension as he pointed a finger in the opposite direction. "Is that Vegetto? Looks like he wants to see Universe 4's Buu"  
"Hmm... You're right," Goku confirmed. "I wonder what he wants."  
Goten, nearby, intervened, "You know, he is half you. Shouldn't you rather be asking: 'What am I doing?'"  
"What?" Goku simply replied instantly.  
"Idiot," retorted Trunks next. "If it's half, he should say... um... 'What is half-me doing?' or 'What is semi-me doing?' "...  
Vegeta slapped his forehead. "How puerile! All that suspense and it was pointless!"  
"Anyway, it's a good thing we brought some extra clothing, right?" said Gohan to Goku and Uub.  
"Oh, yeah! Go and change clothes, Uub," advised the master to his student.  
"Alright!" Uub nodded and bounded towards his room.Buu sensed Vegetto arriving. Buu stood, immobile, near the boundary wall separating his space, waiting for the fused Saiyan to arrive. The Saiyan, smiling, greeted him with one hand as he approached and then, reaching over the wall, he jumped over to sit down.  
"Hey!" He greeted simply. "Didn't see you there."  
"Me neither," lied Buu. "How interesting..."  
"Really? I thought the same thing, too. I guess you noticed Universe 20's fighter."  
"The ice cube? Yes, it interests me, why?"  
"I want to confront it."  
"And?"

"I want you to help me."  
"No way. That opponent will be mine."  
"Come on, let him be mine. And I promise that we will fight."  
"We can still fight after I've defeated him."  
A pause settled. The two warriors were looking for a big challenge here. They seemed to agree on certain points.  
"Listen, I've already fought this guy. I want to face him again."  
"If you've already fought him, it's my turn," retorted Buu by pointing his finger at Vegetto.  
"If you fight Broly, I refuse to confront you," Vegetto said, folding his arms and turning his head to one side, sulking.  
"You still might not have the choice," retorted Buu, who still had not out of arguments.  
"Aha! You admit that can cheat to fight whoever you want!"  
"Don't pretend, I know you already knew."  
"Hmm... you're pretty smart," said Vegetto with a smile.  
"I'm not fooled. After all, you and I have much in common. It is the Goku and Vegeta within me. That part of me is excited about the fight against you. Goku wants to face the side of Vegeta that is within you and Vegeta wants to face the side of Kakarotto within you."  
"If I don't face Broly, and I find myself against you... I'll forfeit."  
"You would never."  
"Obviously, you don't know me as well as you think. Vegetto is much more different than just having Vegeta and Kakarotto together," replied the Saiyan.  
Vegetto stood backup, ready to go. He took two to three steps and turned his head slightly.  
"I want to fight Broly in the first round... That still leaves you time to think. See ya!"  
Vegetto returned to his room, leaving Buu in the same place to consider his proposal. As he walked, he smiled. He knew that Buu could cheat to fight whoever he wanted. But what the fused warrior may never know is that Universe 18's Goku had done the exact same thing to be able to fight Uub in the first round of the Tenkaichi Budokai, ten years earlier.At the command center, the Vargas and Nameks were busy restoring the ring for the next match.  
"The fusion of the ring is complete," said a Varga, sitting at his terminal which showed the image of the ring which had become a big bubble filled with green liquid.  
"Perfect. Begin solidification," ordered a second Varga near him.  
The data was posted up on the screen of a small bluish Varga. The process went smoothly during the first few minutes of the ring's solidification.  
"The next match will be: Nail of Universe 10 against Reacum of Universe 8!" Announced the host when it was completed.  
"Ah. This is an interesting fight," said Piccolo, for the first time truly interested in the fight.  
"A good match in perspective, and a well-balanced one, at that," he thought as the two competitors prepared to enter the ring.  
He stared into Universe 10. Nail was warming up. He stretched quickly, with the encouragement of his friends, including Cargot who had regained consciousness for several minutes. He warned Nail of Nappa's power and that Nail be careful against Reacum. Although these two adversaries were not from the same universe, Nappa's power level testified that they could all be as strong, if not stronger.  
After a gesture of thanks for his friend, Nail flew towards the ring, for his own fight..."All right! It's my turn!"  
Reacum smiled. His opponent was a Namek. This should be simple enough. He was luckier than Jeece, at least. And he could never be as imprudent as Butta. The latter had just recovered from his defeat. He got up painfully, with a stomache ache. Clearly, the Kaioshin had made a good shot.  
"Hurry up and win, Reacum," ordered Frieza.  
"Okay, sir," he replied with an attentive pose. "But first, I need a modified scouter."  
Reacum and Freeza turned around to face a deformed head with mottled purple skin.  
"Kiwi, where is it?" Freeza asked impatiently.

"Well, we found a problem, Lord Freeza. It turns out that too many people here makes the scouters unstable, causing them to explode. Fixing the scope of the analyzers about 10 units seems to be the only thing we can do..."  
"Ten units is a problem," said Freeza with his arms crossed. "Well, go ahead and give one to Reacum."  
The latter outstretched his hand, waiting for the scouter, indicating that Kiwi was a slave in his service.  
"This is... the only one we modified like that..." Kiwi replied shakily.  
As Freeza got excited, Reacum intervened. "Uh, actually, it's okay. I'll just take Butta's."  
He walked to his companion, making little noises as his massive foot stomped the ground with each step. He quickly grabbed Butta's scouter, modifying the apparatus to fit his right eye.  
He looked at Jeece and Burta and said, "If you guys lost, it's because you didn't do the Dance Presentation! Ready! Go!"  
"Reacum!" Freeza cried, "Stop these jokes immediately and fight before you're disqualified!"  
The Ginyu Force member did not even bat en eye. He did not even argue and flew straight off into the ring... while Jeece and Burta continued their silly dance. As he landed on the ring, his opponent was ready in fighting position.One of the announcers announced the start of the match. Reacum stiffened... then suddenly began to make strange movements with his arms and shouted, "Special Force... Ginyu Commando!"  
He added ridiculous leg movements. He finished on one foot, facing Nail, who was embarrassed to see such shameful poses before him, shouting his name, "Reacumm !"Just as he finished shouting he charged at Nail rapidly, yelling with a smile void of seriousness... For Reacum, this fight would merely be a formality.  
Nail managed to narrowly dodge Reacum's rush by moving to his right. He took advantage of the slight imbalance to give his opponent an upward vertical kick. But Reacum had strong reflexes and dodged the blow by letting himself nearly fall backwards.  
The Namek responded with a quarter turn by chaining another kick, this time a horizontal one, but in a quick flash, his opponent found himself almost on all fours, allowing him to avoid the attack.  
Realizing that his back vulnerable to attack, the Namek turned and leaped forward to minimize the distance between them. Suddenly, they rushed at each other and chained attacks and counter attacks at high speeds. For about twenty seconds, neither fighters seamed to have the upper until Reacum bellowed his "Reacum Kick," with a credible and effective position and movement of attack. Nail was hit in the face and was thrown into the air, heavily crashing to the ground several feet away.  
In Universe 13's wing, a Bald Saiyan was carefully observing the fight. At the start of the fight, he had let it slip that he wanted the tall one to be eliminated. He then grinned when Nail was struck by Reacum's kick.  
Vegeta, turning his head towards his great friend, challenged him. "Well, it seems that Reacum is stronger than that Namek."  
"Well, if that's true then Nail is much weaker than that Caracagot thing," Nappa replied simply.  
"Even if, by some chance, you both faced a Namek in the first round," Raditz intervened, "it's unfortunate that  
you won't meet in the tournament. We'd be able to see who's the best out of you two and maybe you'd have kicked his ass like he kicked yours at the time."  
Nappa and Vegeta looked at Raditz"...Yeah.. at the time..."  
"Hey look! The Namek's getting up," declared Kakarotto, distracting his three friends who went back to observing the ring.  
"You want some more?" asked Reacum sarcastically, as a white aura surrounded the Namek as he stood up on his legs.  
A few seconds passed as neither fighter moved. Then, suddenly, Nail cried out, clenching his fists and revealing his true strength. His aura raged more violently.  
The Ginyu Commando's scouter beeped. He quickly read the number as 58,000 and rising, albeit slightly. Certainly, the limit must have been close to 60,000.Reacum had no time to comment on the strength as the Namek charged at him, creating a small crater where he stood less than a second earlier. Nail managed to land his first shot. His fists pierced the armor, landing in Reacum's stomach. Reacum gasped. Nail followed up with a second punch to the face this time, which made his enemy stagger. The scouter fell to the ground and Nail crushed it, almost unintentionally. The Namek continued to barrage Reacum with many punches and it seemed Reacum was having difficulties. He retreated again and again.  
Finally, Nail violently attacked from the left, which brought down his opponent. He outstretched his right arm, palm open with his three fingers joined together and his aura reappeared. Shouting again, a wave of energy struck Reacum, who had just begun to recover. The explosion that followed was violent.  
As the dust began to settle slowly and Nail caught his breath, Nappa let out a grin... which faded almost as quickly when Vegeta said, "Not powerful enough. And indeed as the dust disappeared, everyone discovered a pretty beaten up and bruised Reacum, but he was still standing, with his armor crumbling. He smiled, rubbing the dust off his chest.  
He replied simply, "Not bad... that wasn't bad at all... My turn!"  
He opened his bleeding mouth and a light appeared within. He then shouted the name of his technique, the Reacum Eraser Gun. A powerful energy beam collided with Nail that, even with protection with one arm, he could not resist its force.  
Smoke and dust rose into the air. Craters appeared in correspondence to path the energy wave. on the land, lay the Namek, whose body was still smoking. He tried to stand up by leaning on his right arm because he had lost his left arm and part of his ribs.  
Reacum approached him laughing. He grabbed the dying Namek by the left wrist and lifted him up.  
"No Resistance! You're no different from the Namekians we slaughtered back home..." he said still grinning.  
The image of Reacum flaunting his superiority annoyed Nappa, triggering a memory of his experiences.Thirty-two years earlier...  
After a discussion with their master, Lord Freeza, Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz left the command center of Freeza's ship. Walking briskly down the hall, the began to discuss. "How the hell does he expect us to attack Helior in such short time? Three days!? Is he serious?" Nappa wondered aloud, edgily. "We'd have to end our current mission now!"  
"He's laughing at us," added Vegeta, just as upset.  
"If only we had one more person..." growled the bald Saiyan.  
"Hold on, maybe we can get some help," intervened Raditz behind the other two.  
The two Saiyans stopped and turned.  
"How would you do that?" demanded the Prince of Saiyans, arms folded across his white armor.  
"My little brother is probably still alive. He was sent to a distant planet whose inhabitants are not strong at all. If we can find him..."  
"I thought your brother was only two units when we sent him," said Nappa mockingly. "Even as an adult, he wouldn't be very strong. There's no point."  
"Nappa's right.... But why not?... At worst... Yeah, he might be helpful."  
"I should leave as soon as possible to check... but..."  
"Don't worry. We'll finish our current mission in two standard days and we'll expect you two to attack Helior with us. Go on now, don't waste any time."  
Without another word, Raditz turned on his heel and ran to his pod, ready to find his little brother, Kakarotto, on Earth. Behind Vegeta and Nappa, two people appeared.  
They called out, "Well, well. If it isn't our friends: the Saiyans?"  
Turning around, Nappa and Vegeta found themselves face-to-face with two members of the famous Ginyu Force. Reacum, the tall orange-haired man, and Guldo, tiny in comparison to his friend, the plump creature with greenish eyes wide apart...  
"What do you want?" Nappa asked Reacum spitefully as they approached.  
"Calm down, we just want to talk to Frieza. We want to take care of Helior ourselves," said Guldo.  
"Don't make me laugh!" laughed Vegeta, "You would never survive!"  
"Joke while you can! You're just upset that you're not part of the Legendary Ginyu Force!"  
"No way!"  
"Tsk, anyway," replied Nappa, "Lord Freeza entrusted US with the mission."  
Reacum was thunderstruck. "How? Impossible! Well... at least there's the chance that you'll all die, good riddance, and then we can take it!"  
"What did you say?" said an enraged Nappa, clenching his fists.  
"Oh, don't get excited, little one. Keep your strength, you'll need it."  
"You motherfucker!" Nappa snapped. "Don't think I'm inferior!"

He threw himself at Reacum, fist forward... but the latter stopped him with one hand gripping his wrist. Worse, he lifted Nappa up into the air. Since Reacum was larger than Nappa, he stretched his arm over his head, grabbing the Saiyan's wrist tightly and laughing. Vegeta's pride struggled to witness the event, but he clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. He almost touched the ground... While the Prince of Saiyans was preparing to respond, Nappa attacked Reacum with his good arm and Reacum parried it easily.  
Suddenly, Freeza, intervened behind them, "That's enough."  
His voice, calm and cold, was enough to force compliance. Vegeta stood up, loosening his fists and Reacum let go of Nappa, who fell to his knees, rubbing his sore right hand.  
"Reacum, Guldo, follow me immediately."  
Freeza turned around. With a last, far-from-friendly look at the Saiyans, both members of the Ginyu Force left. Vegeta glanced at his partner, grumbled, and left him too. Nappa rose, grabbed his throbbing hand and looked behind him. Since then, he hated Reacum.

 

Reacum struck Nail, who seemed to be dying, in the face. Laughing, he punched him strongly in the head, abdomen and what was left of his ribs. The torture never seemed to end, but finally, the big redhead paused to admire his work. A big mistake! Nail took the opportunity to take a quick breath. His eyes fixed onto Reacum and from his eyes came out two yellow laser beams that managed to pierce his enemy.  
Reacum fell to his knees, let go of the Namek's wrist and put his hands to the two wounds on his torso. He breathed heavily and evilly.  
Rising, Nail allowed himself before explaining to Reacum, "You should've been more careful." The latter looked at him and tried to withstand the pain. He was astonished to see that Nail had regenerated his body in just a few seconds' respite! Nail tore off his jacket and threw a kick that Reacum could not avoid.  
Reacum crashed to the ground and lay still. But his thoughts were tangled. He was furious. He remembered himself facing Nappa more than thirty years ago. He was stronger than him. He always had been. And somehow, by chance, they both faced a Namek from the same universe, certainly of equivalent power. Nappa had won so quickly.. and he.. he was losing.. or even dying? He was not careful, he realized suddenly...  
And he deserved his death...  
"Death? No, I'm not dying here! Not against the green thing! Impossible!"  
Reacum seemed to come back to life. He screamed, causing Nail to cringe in fear. Nail turned around in defense. But, though he was enraged and screaming, Reacum remained on the floor. The Namek preferred to secure his victory... He walked over and violently landed his foot firmly into the belly of the man on the ground, shattering away a piece of armor.  
This time, silently, breathing calmly, Reacum sank into unconsciousness. The announcers began the count. Nail breathed in relief because, despite his ability to regenerate, he was now running out of energy.  
"And THIRTY! Nail wins this fight!" declared the presenter.  
Sighing, the Namek immediately left to join his room to rest and be congratulated by his friends. In the ring, the Namekian organizers were busy bringing Reacum to his Universe, where Freeza ordered to bring him into the ship's treatment room. He was accompanied by the rest of the Ginyu Force, all with worried faces.  
In Universe 18's space, two men and a Namek were talking about the fight that had just finished.  
"It's too bad that we didn't have Nail helping us against this commando on Namek!" Gohan said after they had discussed the strengths and techniques that made Reacum reckless. (Goku also benefited from Reacum's imprudence to explicitly sho Uub that it could be fatal.)  
"I wonder what he was doing instead of helping us on Namek," Vegeta replied to Gohan, remembering that they were being crushed by Reacum until Son Goku's arrival.  
Beside the Saiyans, Piccolo twitched slightly. Had Vegeta forgotten that Nail was within him? Hold on. Did he even know? The Namek was about to tell them that he fought Freeza himself to save time... but changed his mind... to bad... he didn't specify that he was too broken...

In Universe 8's wing, as Freeza raged inwardly, Coola approached him with a hand on his shoulder. To Freeza's surprise, he thought his brother came to boost his morale. Pfft, what an idea!  
"Haha! The Legendary Ginyu Force is just too strong! HA! They all lost, and so quickly!"  
"Coola, stop bothering your brother," King Cold intervened before the fighting escalated.  
"We'll see how well you minions will do," retorted Freeza looking at Sauza who was standing right behind Coola. "And we'll see how you'll do, yourself!"  
"I am under no illusion, I..."  
He was interrupted by the announcement of the next fight... Trunks of Universe 12 against... Coola of Universe 8!With the announcement of the fight between Trunks and Coola, almost everyone in Universe 18 began to cheer. It was now time for them to witness a fight featuring their old friends.  
"Hey, I can see how I'm doing," laughed Universe 18's Trunks.  
"It'd be funny if he lost," muttered Goten beside him.  
"It's okay. There are three of me here. I'm entitled to three lives. You only have two of you! Ha ha!" countered Trunks.  
Son Goten whispered, "Hey! That's cheating!"  
"The kids are right," Goku intervened. He walked over from a group that consisted of Gohan, Vegeta, and Uub over to the side. "Coola is Freeza's brother, so their power levels must be pretty close. ... There's no doubt that he's hiding his true power, but I think we can make an off-hand guess..."  
"I hope that he's continued to train over the years, unlike the idiot son I have over here," Vegeta grumbled, insisting on every last word. He provocatively glared at his son, who turned away with a grin after his eyes met his father's. Though it did not seem like it, Vegeta could (if he truly wanted) very well have forced his son in Universe 18 to do pushups or run a few hundred miles.  
Trunks left his space after ending his conversation with #16 with a quick smile. At the other side, Coola flew off from his area and landed on the ring. He stood erect, arms and legs crossed. He must have found it stylish. In a way, he had class. At least, he enough class to impress his minions. The look and his eyes demonstrated his strong character, his strength, and his will. He was the type that would never let victory escape, of that he was certain."Fate must have a sense of humor..." said Trunks to his adversary as he landed on the ring.  
"What are you talking about, boy?" replied the voice of the despicable son of King Cold.  
"You are the only one of your family that I haven't fought yet," Trunks continued as he stretched.  
"I'm delighted..."  
"What is your power level?" cut the semi-Saiyan. "Are you stronger than Freeza?"  
"Of course!"  
Coola nearly lost his composure. He thought to himself, "What is that thing? Who is that man? Surely not a Saiyan, he has purple hair... Regardless, it would be best to quickly eliminate him!" Coola slowly raised his arms and his wrist... He extended his finger, pointing it at Trunks. The latter assumed his fighting stance, having finished stretching, and fixed his eyes on his opponent. Suddenly, a reddish-pink laser beam fired from Coola's fingertip to Trunks, who dodged it with a simple turn.  
"Not bad..." he smirked.  
Cooler continued to fire, several bursts this time, but Trunks dodged them all... even those fired by Coola as he flew in the air.  
"That's enough," Trunks finally slapped down a beam with the palm of his hand. "I'll tell you one last thing."  
"And what could that be?" Coola descended, noticing that the hair of his enemy seemed to rise up slowly... almost as if a wind was rising below him...  
"You're also the only member of your family..."  
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, followed by a shining light that dazzled the eyes of Freeza's brother for several seconds. When Coola finally opened his eyes, the hair of the man before him had become golden yellow and he exuded an aura of the same color. ... More than that, his eyes, too, had changed color. Strangely, the man now seemed cramped in his clothing. Coola witnessed it for the first time. Trunks, sneering, finished his sentenced as he rushed towards the Frost Demon.

"...That I didn't kill!"  
Coola's eyes widened when he thought he saw Trunks vanish into thin air. But suddenly, he reappeared, inches away from his nose. Coola stared into his opponenents frightening eyes. He thought to himself, "Those eyes... this look.. what is this? I've never seen this before in my life."  
Trunks dealt the first punch to Coola's stomach. He followed up with a slight uppercut, then a kick to the ribs. Taking advantage of his speed, he moved slightly to get behind Coola and violently kicked Coola's tail, making the Frost Demon bellow in pain. He raised his left hand to his sword, while with his right, he parried a punch from Coola, who turned around. But clearly, it wasn't enough.  
The Saiyan seemed to spin, but Coola was unable to track his movements. Trunks landed from the air and slashed Coola, creating a long gash on his purple and white back. The tip of the blade crashed down and lodged itself in a small trench on the ground.  
In Universe 8's wing, Freeza laughed at his brother's struggle. He thought to himself, "This is good for him, a good lesson of humility... But wait... where did that golden-haired guy go?" Freeza lost sight of him ... and Coola had the same problem. Trying to predict the Saiyan's next move in advance, he turned around, extending his leg to strike, but he failed. Trunks was there behind him, but he easily parried the kick.  
"I'll show you how it is... to be the fastest and strongest," Trunks calmly said.  
Disappearing once again, Trunks was unable to be seen by Coola's eyes during the twenty seconds that followed. Coola took hit after hit, whether by fists, feet, or the sword... Trunks' sword slashed him furiously. Fortunately for Coola, the injuries were minor. Suddenly, Coola snapped, exuding an agitated force, concentrating a shock wave that drove Trunks back. Finally... he was free to focus, to distance himself and predict his opponent's next move.  
In Universe 8's wing, Freeza had completely lost all confidence. He was stunned now that he could clearly see his brother's condition after the sequence of attacks. Behind him, his father was equally amazed.  
Coola stood, breathless, sweating and... losing...  
"I'm not done yet," said Trunks, who truly did not want to give Coola any breaks.  
Trunks charged Coola, sword in front. Coola retreated but the sword gashed his chest. Following the momentum, Trunks gave Coola a violent kick to his left rib cage. Coola fell to his knees and Trunks hit his back and Coola launched forward 2 or 3 meters. His knee had left a mark on the ring... as if the ground, though hard, were made of sand and dust.  
"Wait!" yelled Coola quickly between two sharp breaths. He raised his hand forward, as a sign of saying 'stop' as he placed his other hand on his sore left ribs. The cut on his chest was bleeding... "It's a shame," he continued. "You're showing off, but I'm sure you're nothing without your weapon!"  
Trunks smiled because any observer could tell that the sword was definitely not the reason for his enormous advantage over his opponent. It seemed that evil and stupidity definitely ran in the family...  
"I only brought it for the fun of the event," Trunks said after a few seconds of thought. He firmly planted his sword into the ground and walked slowly, still as a Super Saiyan.  
"You're honest with me, now... I will be too..." Coola advanced, getting up, "...and show you my true power!"  
Smiling, he clenched his fists and concentrated his strength more intensely. He began to grow taller and his muscles expanded. Protuberances appeared on his legs and natural arm bands, and a crest grew on his head. The tip of his tail was now covered by a solid white layer, like a bone, but more resistant. Trunks noticed other things during the metamorphosis...

"His wounds are healed... and he's releasing a lot more power."  
Had he not heard that even Freeza could also transform several times?  
Coola took two steps forward and was already within range of attack. He lifted his leg and fiercly struck Trunks' chin with his foot. Trunks flew several yards away, only to recover and land on his feet.  
"You're amusing," he said, rubbing the back of his hand under his chin.  
Coola took no notice and quickly released several bursts of energy. But Trunks parried all of them away, sending them into the air. All the balls were lost in the sky.  
Coola noticed something. Why did he launch the enrhy into the sky when it'd be easier just to send them in all directions, instead? "Would he," he thought to himself, "by chance..."  
He had to check if his theory was right... especially since it would give him an enormous advantage.Trunks saw Coola fly immediately and once the Frost Demon was above him, he launched a volley of badly-aimed energy balls. But this time, his target was not Trunks... but rather everwhere but him.  
And yes, if his opponent was the kind of Samaritan as Coola had thought, then the boy would would try to deflect each ball so that none of them hit the audience, which would be a disadvantage for him.  
Some of the rays landed right near Trunks, who blocked each attack. The other, more distant ones, struck through the ring and hit the ground below, often landing in the other universes' wings, like in Universe 18's as Pan narrowly dodged one of the beams.  
Trunks, however, did nothing to stop them. His kindness was not so apparent... did that mean he knew about Coola's trap?  
The audience, indeed, was almost hit. The attacks were violently attacking, but a protective barrier activated, blocking the impact several meters in front of the audience. All the people were dazzled by the explosions in front of their eyes.  
Trunks, who had flown up because the ring had become unstable, saw that his hypothesis was confirmed: the public was well-protected. The Vargas had planned that, too.  
Coola charged, taking Trunks from behind. He raised his fists and did not miss a step... But the semi-Saiyan was too fast. Turning quickly, he parried Coola's fist with a jerk, he grabbed the Frost Demon's wrist and pulled it towards himself to give him a mighty headbutt. Coola seemed to fall backwards. Trunks grabbed his tail and spun it around several times to send him into the ring, where he collided violently under a cloud of dust. Trunks simply waited there... and glanced at his father in Universe 18.  
Coola recovered gradually... He crawled in the dust and his head hit something... hard. He rose and found himself facing his opponent's sword, still stuck in the ground.  
As Vegeta from Universe 18, looked away from his son, seeming to ignore him, Trunks sensed his opponent coming back from behind him to strike him with his own sword... Turning once again faster than Coola would have liked, he caught the sword with two fingers... The scenario reminded him of a good memory.

"It really is a habit that runs in the family..."  
"Do.. Don't take me for a fool" yelled Coola, attempting a kick while holding the sword.  
Trunks parried with a knee to the stomach of Coola, who yelled in pain.  
"You tried all your dirty tricks, didn't you? Just like your father."He dealt a violent blow to Coola's stomach. The Frost Demon nearly lost consciousness as Trunks repeatedly struck him by kicking and dropping him into Universe 8's wing, in front of a petrified Freeza and King Cold. Coola lost consciousness before he even touched the floor.  
"You're not even worth killing anymore," said Trunks, storing his sword in his sheath and reverting to his normal state. He cast a glare at the other two in the family. He sneered, anticipating their reaction to his statement...  
"Oh, by the way... I am a Super Saiyan. See ya!"  
"Victory for Trunks!" announced the announcer while King Cold and his son did not budge an inch/  
The.. the Super Saiyan? No, a Super Saiyan! Did that mean there was more than just one? Their thoughts intersected quickly in shock. It was impossible! Impossible!  
Freeza quickly studied all the universes. There was no way in hell so many Super Saiyans could be in the same universe, it was ridiculous! Oh dear god! In Universes 16 and 18... this Trunks was also present... that made three! Way too many! And the others? Universe 10... not impossible... Universe 13? Vegeta... he had come to taunt several hours ago, claiming he was a Super Saiyan... was he just trying to scare them or was he... telling the truth?  
Freeza trembled slightly. He had not felt a fear such as this in so long... His father tried to reassure him.  
"You're going to the next round to face Nappa. We know for sure that it's impossible for him to be a Super Saiyan."  
"I won't be humiliated by these filthy monkeys!" Freeza replied, annoyed.  
"As soon as the ring and grounds are restored," said the announcer as pieces of the ring approached to merge together and the walls of the arena, obviously made of the same material, were recovering in place as if by magic, "Universe 10's King Vegeta will fight against Universe 18's Vegeta!"  
"Ho! Ho ho!" cheered Universe 18's Goten and Trunks, eternal adolscents.  
"No time to vegetate!" finished Goten, to the amusement  
of his friend.  
"Hey, Vegeta, you're up!" Goku said happily. "Wait a sec... where is Vegeta?"  
Indeed, Vegeta was no longer in Universe 18's wing...Vegeta walked calmly. There was no doubt that the Trunks of the future – that of the universe 12 – was stronger than the offspring of his universe. It unnerved him a little...  
He arrived near the outskirts of Universe 12's wing while Trunks was violently beating down Coola near the end. #16, nearby, did not remove his gaze from the Saiyan Prince. The Android had been silently observing Prince Vegeta from Universe 13 in the same manner. There was a silence between the man and machine... Neither of them was the type to break the silence... Uncharacteristically, Vegeta broke the silence.  
"You're more in shape than you are in my world right now," he said sarcastically, turning his back to lean against the low wall.  
"You too," simply replied the Android, grinning inside.  
Vegeta gasped for a second. That damn robot! Since when did Androids understand sarcasm? Especially, this one, of the three? And in two words he had replied so crisply! Vegeta thought he was being clever by bringing up the Android's destruction in his universe, but had forgotten that he, himself, had died in Universe 12... That robot was lucky to-...  
"Dad?"

Trunks had just arrived. He was very surprised to see his father waiting there before his world.  
"Hi Trunks."  
"Uh ... hello," simply said his son, a little shy and embarrassed. He had so much to say, but now Vegeta was in front of him ... where to start?  
"How you doing now?" Vegeta asked, genuinely interested in his son.  
"Well ... very well," answered semi-Saiyan, not daring eye contact with his father, yet still smiling.  
"How is your mother?"  
"Very good! If I had known... I would have asked her to come... it would have given her so much pleasure to see you again..."  
"And your girlfriend?"  
“What? Uh, how do you... I... umm..." Trunks blushed.  
"Trunks, in my universe, you don't stop having girlfriends. I know you're more serious than my son but I heard that you had someone."  
"But, I never mentioned it... no!"  
"Yeah, Gohan told me."  
Glowing red, Trunks said, "Impossible!"  
"I confess, I lied," Vegeta was smiling, "He didn't say anything, but you just revealed it."  
Trunks grew silent, more embarrassed than before... Vegeta laughed... and this surprised his son, who had never seen him do so. He lost his discomfort, smiled back, and finally laughed before volunteering further information.  
"She's fine. We’ve been together for almost two years, now. We already talked about a future and all..."  
"I see ... Looks like I have a better chance of being a grandfather with you than with that other offshoot," Vegeta was watching his own son in the space 18. The teenager was still talking with his friend... Son Goten. In fact, it was the son of Son Goku who was having a bad influence on his son!  
"I spoke with him earlier. It's impressive. I knew there'd be differences, yet..."  
"Yeah, I noticed that you're still training?"  
"That's right. On my way home, in my present, so your future, I thought about Gohan against Cell, and the level he had reached. I trained to one day reach that level too."  
"And did you manage?" Vegeta asked, very interested.  
Trunks did not answer...  
"You can tell me, we're no longer facing Cell. I won't take it badly if you're stronger than me. But know that I had already reached that level two decades ago."  
"Already?"  
Vegeta smiled. Trunks did also. The father broke the silence again.  
"I'm gonna head back to my wing, my fight will start soon it seems," he said when he noticed that the ring was almost repaired.  
"See you later, good luck with your fight Dad."  
"I don't need luck... These guys are small-fries for me ..."  
And he went away just like that, leaving Trunks with a smile. He was really happy to find that to be so ... And he could not wait to get home to tell all this to his mother!  
"That guy?" Trunks thought suddenly. But... wasn't that himself? Trunks made note that he would learn about his father during this fight. Moreover, this fight... Once his dad won, in the second round... Counting and grouping them by previous pair...Yes! In the second round, he should be fighting against his father!While Vegeta came back into Universe 18's space, he put two fingers to his chin and looked thoughtful. Gohan and Trunks came back, and the former asked, "Do you mind going up against your father?"  
Trunks, who for once had something tactful better prepared than Gohan, ventured to correct it with a smile:  
"It's himself, not his father."  
"Oh yeah?" retorted Gohan.  
"But I do not care about him," suddenly declared Vegeta. "I'm trying to calculate when I'll finally be able to confront that clown Goku!"  
Again, Gohan was surprised to hear "Goku" from Vegeta's mouth, he who kept saying "Kakarotto" all the through the years, even when they were no longer enemies, but rivals. He always called him that way when he was angry. But for twenty years, after the fight against Buu in fact, he had begun to call him Goku with increasing frequency. Besides the first time he had said that, everyone was almost shocked.  
Looking back, Gohan was at a small party with friends to celebrate their victory over Majin Buu when it was first noticed! During the festivities everyone had stopped to look at Vegeta, who had become quite red. Bulma even asked him if he had not taken a hit on the head.  
Since then, Vegeta had become much quieter, more pleasant in fact. But for Gohan, Piccolo, and even Kulilin, who had heard for a long time, "Kakarotto", it was still weird.  
"Everything is ready," the host finally said, "The two competitors are preparing!"  
Vegeta flew to the ring immediately. He had not finished calculating the time when he would meet his universe’s Goku ... Too bad he was going to end this fight quickly and go back to thinking about it right after.Both Vegetas came to the ring exactly the same time, with the same movements with his arms crossed in front of their opponent. The Universe 18 Vegeta eyed his other self. First, he had a goatee ... it made him less credible. And his clothes looked ... kind of seedy, too simple, too brown. Finally, the last detail, King Vegeta has his Saiyan tail.  
"What did you do to your title?" finally the king said, pointing fixedly.  
"You know, in my house I have no one to rule."  
"Nobody ... ?"  
King Vegeta had heard that his people had been massacred in other universes. They were very weak! "But what about the real one?" he wondered.  
The king decided to attack, without stopping the discussion. There was a point he wanted to check.  
Attacking fists, the other Vegeta avoided his blows without getting tired. He asked:  
"What happened to your people?"  
"My people?"  
"You have no subjects over which rule?" again asked the bearded king, while his opponent had to parry his fist.  
"Now I rule ... no, I share my life ... simply. And not with subjects or vassels, but much better ... It's called a family."  
Universe 18 Vegeta struck once to his right, throwing his counterpart. The latter rose, spitting a little blood, and began churning words out, angrily, accusingly.  
While flying towards his opponent at high speed, he said:  
"Family? Ho! It's your brat who insulted me just now?"  
Bam, Universe 18 Vegeta stopped him with a hand gripping his hair and, whirling, threw his counterpart a little further, finally falling to the ground.  
"It's his mother who was badly educated," then he replied.  
Rising, a hand through his hair, King Vegeta continued his questions:  
"You have traded your people for a family do you say?"  
Almost mad with rage, Vegeta thought to himself, “this turncoat..!”, pouncing on his enemy as earlier. But the other stopped him easily, put him down quickly and pinned him to the ground with a foot.  
"How weak... I have to ultimately thank Freeza. Nothing, you're nothing but a ghost of what I would have become if I had stayed on a pitiful planet named after me."  
King Vegeta felt anger seething inside. "How does he mock a ‘pitiful planet’ named after him? That's his name, which was chosen as the one of the world! He truly denied his title of King of Saiyans?!"  
"Like the other universes down there," said Vegeta, "You’re what I would have become if I had not found serenity on Earth."  
"Hey Vegeta”, Raditz of Universe 13 said, “it sounds like the Universe 18 you is looking at you."  
"What would you say if you could talk to the other you?" Nappa said.  
"Surely they find me more classy in my brand new armor," Vegeta of Universe 13 smiles, "and you must admit, that one’s not very handsome with a beard."  
"I knew that wearing a beard like my father would be ridiculous," Universe 18 Vegeta continued by setting down the 'king', as if he had heard what the members of Universe 13 had just said. "You confirmed it. But physical appearances aren't everything. Finally, he let the bearded man take a pause. Universe 10's Vegeta knew, even if he had not done so for many years, that he had only one slim chance to win.  
"The Galick Gun, eh?” Universe 18 Vegeta said. "Go on, try to balance this fight with it, if you insist."  
"Tell me, what is your goal if you do not rule?"  
"Pushing my limits... and... fighting an old friend."  
King Vegeta, dissatisfied with this response became enraged. After a few seconds of concentration of his strength, he shouted the name of the technique and carried out the attack. Opposite him, Vegeta stopped it with one hand without flinching. Even his hand did not reflect any damage, no scratches, no nothing."Is that all? You're really pathetic..."  
"You talk a lot, and you don't have a tail! Aha!"  
The King conjured a ball of light energy above his left hand while the Galick Gun began to fade.  
"Close your eyes," cried the old King Vegeta to his people in space 10 when they saw this technique. "Nobody look at the sky! Otherwise we will not even fit in the arena!"  
“Transform yourself into a full moon!" cried the current king in turn, swinging the ball of energy high in the night sky.  
"Nappa, Raditz ..." Vegeta was calmly watching his Universe 13 acolytes.  
"We know," replied the Saiyan with long hair, hiding his eyes with one hand.  
Laughing, U10 Vegeta was transformed. His opponent did not care. He looked as always: cool, calm. The king began to grow rapidly, his hair and nose distorting, and his mouth, which became a snout, lengthened, and his clothes were torn quickly. Curiously, his beard was gone. Once at its maximum size, the Oozaru he had become let out a howl. It was strange, because from a distance, it looked like a big circus monkey on a ball...  
"No one can defeat the king of the Saiyans!" Oozaru Vegeta yelled while beating his fists against his chest.

He attacked with a kick, as if to play with the ball that was the ring. But Universe 18 Vegeta dodged a bound on the side. The attacks continued, Oozaru stomping and smashing, but he could never touch his tiny foe. He tried to crush him then ... But his opponent, just stretching his arms above his head, escaped unhurt.  
"Wha-?! .. How can you lift me so easily?!"  
Universe 18 Vegeta gave him a small boost ... This was enough to rock the giant ape who toppled to the bottom, though the gravity of the ring was not enough to bring down a body as heavy as that of an Oozaru.  
Having found his fight more difficult, King Vegeta jumped an incredible height to find the ring again ... But the other Vegeta, still folded arms, immediately attacked by a kick in the belly of the Oozaru, who spat in pain, gasping."The joke has gone on long enough," seeing that the Vegeta who was his opponent could not really do anything...  
But still, it was still slightly surprising: the Oozaru jumped again, easily springing up, and threw forth from his mouth a thick line of energy that gushed into the ring and Vegeta. He simply held out an arm in front of him, and released his own energy beam. The two collided, there was an explosion, and then the radius of Universe 18’s Vegeta continued its journey as if nothing had happened, rushing in towards the Oozaru. He managed to push the ape into the artificial moon, piercing it. His trajectory ended in a small explosion.  
Universe 18 Vegeta flew to recover the body of his now-humanoid opponent, in order to bring him up to Universe 10, where all the Saiyans still kept their eyes closed.  
"You can open your eyes, Universe 18 Vegeta said to his father from another universe."  
The old king then opened his eyes to find his son naked on the wall, and another son from another universe facing him, still with folded arms, who held his gaze a few seconds before turning on his heel. With that, Vegeta was had truly, permanently destroyed his former self...  
"Universe 18 Vegeta - winner of the match!" shouted the leader in the microphone while the rival of Goku begin to think about when he would meet Kakarotto ...In Universe 10, the Saiyans began to panic. Their King Vegeta, who was the most powerful of them, had lost, and pathetically at that.  
"The king has lost?" wondered again one of the Saiyans, who did not believe it yet.  
While two of his accomplices attended to the naked King on the ground, the old Vegeta, the former king, had to bring himself to admit the truth:  
"It seems that the participants of this tournament are at a much higher level than we could imagine."  
Removing his cape, the old Saiyan offered it to cover his son to end his humiliation. The ironic side of the matter was that he had lost against himself ... At least there was a universe where he was even stronger. This was a meager consolation prize ...Universe 18 Vegeta returned quietly, arms crossed as usual. He received a few quick congratulations from his children, but it did not matter. It was not a real fight, just a warm up.  
"Tell me Vegeta, what did you say?" Goku asked, smiling.  
"You don't need to know," replied his rival.  
"Oh come on, tell me, I want know," insisted Goku the clown.  
"Forget it Kakarotto!" The Prince of Saiyans said, frustration edging his voice.  
"I heard it all," said Piccolo nearby to annoy Vegeta a little.  
Goku, wearing a silly expression, approached Piccolo, a gleam in his eye:  
"Piccolo, go ahead, tell me everything," he whispered in his ear.  
"If you repeat it, I'll kill you!" Vegeta assured the Namek.  
Goku laughed. There, he had managed to annoy Vegeta, mission accomplished! Piccolo remained like a marble statue, while Vegeta turned his back on everyone's pouting. The alien leader chose this moment to start the next fight:  
"Now, Baddack of Universe 10 against Pan of Universe 18!"  
In the audience, some thinkers questioned. In section forty-two, seventh story, row S, in a box that spanned three hundred and eight square mile, a Metamor, wearing a dark jacket and displaying his beautiful abs, asked his neighbor, "This is the third time we have Universe 10 against Universe 18, right?"  
"The viewers will see nothing..." replied a confident, monkey -tailed man dressed in orange, almost the same kimono that Goku wore, but with a different symbol. And then, as if he were to be justified for such a remark, "It's all because of the chapter title..."  
His neighbor said nothing.  
"But I'll bet it was decided long ago”, cut in a blonde with blue eyes. “This tournament is historic, so that means historians may have already written its history and its outcome! There may already be thousands of people reading this story! I'm sure of it! I'm a historian, myself!"  
As the Monkey-tailed man whipped out a revolver, ready to commit suicide in the face of such idiocy, his neighbor's eyes were riveted on the package that the blonde held, an onigiri. The latter gave it to him, and the Metamor devoured it greedily ..."Excellent, it's my turn!" exclaimed Baddack from Universe 10.  
Pan jumped for joy. "My turn already!" Even better, against her great-grandfather! She could not have been happier.  
"Now pay attention to your opponent, and be careful," Videl told her, kissing her on the forehead to encourage her.  
"Don't worry," assured Goku as he approached his happy granddaughter. "My father isn't really hard to beat, she'll turn out fine!"  
"Pan!" cried a young girl, arriving at a run, who was called... Pan!  
"Pan!" cried the first of Universe 18 to her counterpart of Universe 16, who already jumped on her to embrace and encourage.  
After two or three turns on themselves, they stopped, clasped hands:  
"You have the chance to fight against our great-grand-father! I envy you!" Universe 16's Pan said.  
"But maybe you'll get an opponent with a higher power level!" Pan replied to the other, smiling.  
"I hope so!"  
Little did she know, she would. And it would not turn out good.  
"Pan, go, go," said Gohan, who was paying attention to ensure that she was not disqualified for not having been in the ring in time.  
"Yes!" she replied, taking off, still smiling.  
"Good luck," shouted her counterpart and friend who remained in Universe 18 alongside her mother.  
Opposite, Baddack was cracking his knuckles. The fact that his Universe lost its King didn’t really shock him.  
"It won't stop me having fun," he said with a smile, almost sadistically.He flew quickly and arrived at the same time as his opponent in the ring. There he noticed that it was only a kid. But the proud Saiyan warrior paid no attention to this 'insult'.  
"You're my great-grandfather!"  
"Huh? I never had any grandchildren... No matter; I won't be holding back my shots!"  
"Me neither, let's go!"  
In Universe 10, King Vegeta awoke painfully.  
"Are you awake, sire?" asked one of his subjects kindly.  
"I lost?" said the King, still disoriented, sitting down, rubbing his aching head with one hand.  
"Against yourself," countered immediately another Saiyan. The revelation hit him.  
"Baddack made the next fight," says another. "He will save our honor."  
Baddack was indeed known for his great strength, how he was born of lower class and had, over the years, demonstrated skills and force more and more developed, making him one of the most feared warrior Saiyans. If Vegeta was not so strong, he would have approached the King of the Saiyans in challenge.  
His professional and personal sacrifice pushed him into the ranks of the elite. It did not take him by surprise, and they rarely avoided his punches. Several Saiyans’ groups could confirm from the depths of their memory that they never came out unscathed from a battle against Baddack. He who...  
"I'm really happy to see you!" Pan screamed, pouncing on her great-great-grandfather, hugging him nimbly around the neck with her little arms, making him nearly fall backwards in shock.  
Baddack grabbed the body of the clinging child with both hands and pushed, but it was impossible, she was like a leech on him, crushing his face in her belly. Pan, with her head against her great-grandfather's hair and face, made Baddack look like a person unable to remove the most grotesque party mask.  
Below, more than a dozen Saiyans opened their eyes to the vision of the humiliation of Baddack.  
Baddack managed to throw away the pesky child, but she rebounded on him, in an attack position this time.  
Baddack was surprised at her speed and strength. Placing his arms outstretched, he countered the assault of the girl, but the shock made him step back a few feet still, his feet leaving the ground marred. He tried to push ... in vain."Hey! Let me go!"  
"Grandpa!"  
"Get off of me, you freak!"  
Baddack couldn’t really do anything... she was a master. Pan managed to climb on him, and climb on his shoulders. Clutching his hair, she played rodeo, with the confused Saiyan as the bull. She was playing like crazy while her great-grandfather was desperately trying to get her down.The audience seemed just as amused as Pan, and laughed a lot.  
None of the Saiyans in Universe 10 dared to say anything. They were too shocked by such a spectacle.  
"Awful ..." King Vegeta still managed to sigh.  
Pan then decided to get down from the shoulders of her opponent. While the latter was quickly massaging his shoulders, Pan grabbed her staff and... struck quickly, leaving no time to give the warrior a chance against the attack.  
Once again, Baddack began with a blow to the head, before receiving other small attacks with the same weapon. Pan struck quickly and efficiently as she had been taught: a few shots at the ankles and knees, and also on the wrists. She allowed his blows to force him to make slow movements in order to have an advantage over the long pole.  
Baddack got mad, and when he still had one hand on the new bump on his head, he tried a powerful punch. Pan quickly hit her stick in his back, attacked, and yelled, "Rock!" as her fist launched forward against that of her ancestor.  
Baddack felt a sharp pain on his fingers. He shook his hand as if to try to abate the pain... but he recovered quickly. Pan shouted "Rock!" with every punch she gave to counter those of her opponent, then suddenly changed technique.  
"Scissors!" she said when two fingers of her right hand poked the eyes of Baddack.  
"Paper!" she cried then, an attack with the palm of her hand, pushing off her opponent.  
She ran to him to catch him, grabbed his arm, carried out a quick decision to land him on his stomach and sat on his back clutching her legs, pulled them in towards her.  
Baddack was fed up with this monstrous torture, he couldn’t do anything and his whole body was sore.  
"I give up!" he cried, sweating, tapping on the floor.  
"What, already?" Pan was surprised, a sadder air replacing her previous enthusiasm.  
"Pan wins by forfeit!" cried when one of the twelve announcers, ending Baddack‘s ordeal.  
At Universe 10’s balcony, King Vegeta became angry in silence. Baddack returned, looking shocked. Just as he arrived, Vegeta said, "We’re leaving."  
Behind him, the other Saiyans expecting to participate later were actually quite happy with this decision. They did not like the idea of being beaten like Baddack, or humiliated as their King was, or Mahissu, or worse: being killed!  
"Bring us back home," the King said to a Varga present in their space.  
"You don't want to wait until the end of the tournament?" the Varga asked, amazed, following the Saiyans who already engulfed in the corridor behind one person... one Saiyan.  
"You don't want us to treat your injuries?" he inquired when they did not answer him, trying to make them stay.  
Baddack brought up the rear with a dignified air. He suffered multiple bruises and red eyes that reflected the fingers that had penetrated them, but his attitude said, "Tsk, these scratches? It's nothing!" His king did the same, and walked like a monarch, though he wore a cape wrapped like a towel.  
"We will not continue to be so humiliated," King Vegeta grunted, clenched fist.  
"We forfeit also." Nail was behind the blue Varga.  
The Varga was seized with a sudden burst: the whole universe in his care was gone! He could say goodbye to his promotion! It was not until tomorrow that his colleagues would stop ribbing him for being incompetent..."Yes!" Goten and Trunks cheered in Universe 16 and 18. In an efficient manner, the Nameks hope to profit on the return to their world before being eliminated!  
"But you won your battle ..." muttered the Varga, almost sadly, to Nail.  
"I can’t stay, I am sure to lose," he replied, smiling, but still leaving a small local Varga surprised.  
Indeed, for Nail, they did not level either. Cargot was beaten easily, when he was number two of the Nameks. He himself had struggled against Reacum. In the next round, he would fight this Uub of Universe 18. He thought he had a small chance of winning, but then what? In the third round there was a choice of King Kaioushin, then a Supreme God of the Universe, and a pink demon that would be overkill. He had no chance, it was realistic. His friends agreed with him - after Cargot and Nail, other Nameks no longer wanted to participate. They had seen what they needed to see, it was not necessary to stay longer.  
Pan of Universe 18 returned to her space, to be welcomed by her parents and her counterpart in Universe 16, under the glaring eye of Vegeta.  
"Damn”, thought the prince who never became king, “they only have to congratulate her if she also happens to lift a pebble, or thinks about breathing while they are here! She’ll probably find herself against Cell in a few rounds and then there will be a worthy fight!"  
While Pan and Pan did a little dance, the official announcement was made.  
"We announce... the forfeit of the entire Universe 10!"  
This declaration was followed by protests from some viewers. But ultimately, it was also for their good. They would see less fighting from low level warriors, so more fun. For Vegeta, it was all the same.  
"Good for them, they had nothing to do here," he said.  
"Maybe it's a shame but," Gohan replied.  
"I would have liked to say goodbye to Nail..." Piccolo thought, without letting his emotion show.  
"I hope it'll be my turn at the next fight!" Universe 16 Pan said to her Universe 18 counterpart. That way we would end up in the second round!  
"That would be great!  
Unfortunately, fate decided otherwise when the presenter announced, "Followed by… Kakarotto of Universe 13 versus Kat of Universe 6!"  
"Oh no ... Universe 16 Pan said... Now even after one of the rounds we won't meet... Perhaps the third round if I'm next?"  
"It would be nice, said the Pan in the red kimono. But will we get to the third round? I'll have to beat one of the two... Kakarotto is like Grandpa.."Maybe he’s less strong?"  
"I'm sure," Goku said behind the girls. "It’s impossible that your grandfather can be beaten by... hmm... himself, right?"  
"They said they were Super Saiyans..." Universe 18 Pan complained.  
"Oh don't worry," replied her counterpart, "You can beat him, I'm sure! Let's first see what this Kakarotto does in his fight."  
Goku was turning to the ring.Nappa laughed raucously upon realizing that Kakarotto was about to fight a girl from Universe 6, who in no way looked as though she belonged in a tournament of powerful fighters. Nappa's companions looked for a moment as though they were embarrassed by his boisterous laughter.  
"These Vargas guys must think you're a wimp, Kakarotto," Nappa said. "That's why they're making you fight this chick!"  
"Just because I have to fight a girl doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy myself”, said Goku's alter-ego, while grinning and cracking his knuckles.  
Kakarotto then shifted toward the spherical arena, while maintaining the vigilant attitude that had saved him more than once during his experiences in Universe 13.  
In the 6th Universe Balcony, Kat's friends were encouraging her. With long, flowing black hair, and her beautiful, yet graceful facial features, Kat was akin to how a female human of Earth might appear with no more than 20 standard years of age, as was the case with her three friends.  
While adjusting her gloves for the upcoming fight, Kat smiled, as she was looking forward to it.  
On her planet, she had not only been the physically strongest, but had mastered the planet's best techniques of melee combat.  
"Kakarotto! He's my type!" Kat said to her friends, with a sly grin. "If he's anything like that other hunk in the orange gi who looks like him, then he's probably very strong. But as you all know, I know just what to do.”  
"Good luck, Kat!" her friends yelled almost in unison, while Kat knelt to pounce upward toward the ring.  
Standing about five meters closer to the 6th Universe Balcony's wall nearest the spectators, members of the Bojack Gang were beginning to find the cheery optimism to be somewhat intolerable."These giggling idiots are beyond annoying," Bojack said.  
"They want to make fools of the most beautiful boys in this tournament," Zangya said. "It disgusts me!"  
"We'll just kill them all when we get back to our universe," Bojack said.  
"Well, if she is more than she appears to be and defeats this guy, you might even get to kill her in the third round," Zangya said. "Then, you can show her why she should never annoy me.”  
Kat pounced from the ground, and her strength was readily apparent. She soared into the air, achieving a distance from the ground greater than that of the top of the spherical arena. Right before she descended from the top of her arched path, she flipped forward a few times, perhaps to impress the audience.  
"This athlete from Universe 6 is honoring us all with her beautiful gymnastics display!" one of the announcers shouted via the loudspeakers. "Look at that grace! Look at that - oh no, she's falling fast!"  
To her great surprise, the arena's gravity forced Kat to accelerate quickly forward. She fell several meters, unable to control her descent.  
"Ow!" she yelled, when her rump made contact with the arena floor.  
"Fortunately, this isn't a gymnastics competition, otherwise, the judges would have given her a zero!" the announcer said with amusement after recognizing that Kat was relatively unhurt by the fall.  
"Damn," Kat said, while recovering from the fall by kneeling forward. "Usually my landings are much better, and -"  
She suddenly realized a detail about the ring that she had previously not understood.  
"But ... this gravity is like 10 times ours!" she shouted. "No one seemed bothered by it before!"  
She now understood why her entrance had been less than desirable. The higher gravity had indeed interfered with her approach.  
The fact that no one else had seemed bothered by this intensity of gravity prompted Kat to become quite nervous.  
She became even more nervous when, upon looking toward her opponent, she saw that Kakarotto, like the fighters who had been in the ring before him, seemed unaffected.  
‘Him ... I'll have to use all my powers ...' she thought to herself, while standing up and dusting off her miniskirt.  
'This won't take long,' Kakarotto thought to himself. 'After I defeat this chick, I'll then defeat a ridiculous little girl in the second round. After that, I'll fight Trunks or Vegeta. Trunks is a Super Saiyan, despite his normal hair color, but I'm a Super Saiyan too, and I'll defeat him. Vegeta from Universe 18 likely hasn't shown his full strength, but even so, there's still a chance he might be weaker than my universe's Vegeta!"Kat then attracted Kakarotto's attention, with a wink and a wave of her right hand, almost in a seductive manner.  
"Hello, you!" she said, with a joyful giggle, while Kakarroto blushed.  
Indeed, Kakarotto hadn't expected that she would be so ... alluring.  
'Her miniskirt ... her cleavage ... no, wait! I can't let myself be distracted!' Kakarotto thought within. 'Who the hell does she think she is? There will be plenty of time for fun later. Right now, I just need to get this over with. Hey, I'll just do what my alter-ego from Universe 18 did!'  
Kakarotto forcefully punched forward with his right hand, straight toward Kat. Just as Goku had done against Mahissu, the punch created intense air pressure that was swiftly moving forward.  
To Kakarotto's surprise, Kat's appearance blurred, and the invisible air attack passed straight through where Kat had been visibly standing.  
Kakarotto had time only to raise his right eyebrow in shock before Kat suddenly reappeared in front of him about a half-meter above the arena floor and then kneed him in the face. The impact of the attack manifested in a cacophonous boom of sound, but despite what the audience heard, Kakarotto grinned, with his face relatively unscathed, and his feet had in no way moved from where they had been before the attack.  
"Not bad at all," Kakarotto said, while maintaining the grin on his face, while Kat lowered her right knee.  
'He isn't even scratched!' she thought nervously, while beginning to step backward from Kakarotto.  
She then yelled aloud while rushing forward toward Kakarotto, bringing her right fist backward in preparation for a punch.  
"You can hide your energy very well...,” Kakarotto began to say, right before Kat shifted from in front of him and left an afterimage, reappeared behind him, and then was back-slammed in the face by Kakarotto's left fist.  
"...but your energy isn't the only way I have to find you," Kakarotto said. "Your knee strike from earlier definitely shows me that you're more powerful than you appear. Maybe you even have a power level of about 10,000. But it doesn't matter. As you can see, you're no match for me.”  
'Damn it!' Kat thought to herself in pain, while recoiling away from Kakarotto. "And he isn't even using one percent of his power! I can't win like this. I didn't want to resort to this, but...”Quickly after wiping her nose, which fortunately was not broken, Kat readied herself for her next attack. She closed her eyes for a moment, and Kakarotto did not move, waiting to see what she was planning to do.  
When Kat finally opened her eyes, Kakarotto saw that her pupils had shifted from blue to pink. She then looked to the heavens, and from Kakarotto's perspective, many types of women's underwear were beginning to fall from above, including panties, thongs, and swimwear.  
"This is incredible!" the 12 announcers shouted together almost in unison. "Kat has a fine gift!"  
Kakarotto reached out with his right arm up toward the apparently falling items, reaching particularly for a sexy swimsuit.  
In the balconies for Universes 16 and 18, Trunks and Goten, being the mischievous pranksters that they were, were finding the situation to be hilarious.  
"If one thing's for sure, Oolong would have been happy to be here!" Goten of Universe 18 said, with a grin.  
"If Oolong would have been merely happy to be here, imagine how Master Roshi would have felt to see all of this!" Trunks of Universe 18 said, right before they laughed some more.

Kat realized that Kakarotto had been quite distracted by what was nothing more than an elaborate illusion, and she knew she needed to take the opportunity to strike at him again if she was to win.  
She rushed forward and managed to grab Kakarotto's head while he was distracted by the illusory underwear, intending to break his neck.  
She tried with all her might ... and Kakarotto would not budge.  
Kakarotto then recognized what she had tried to do and slammed Kat in the nose again for her attempt.  
The illusion dissipated, and some of the announcers who had blushed because of the illusion then returned to their normal skin color.  
"Kat is down!" stammered one of the announcers, looking intently upon the fight and wondering what would happen next.  
"Shit, I didn't even want to go as far as that, but it looks like I might need to go farther," Kat said, knowing that if she wanted to progress to the second round, she needed to pursue her last available option.  
'This technique will work,' she thought to herself, while beginning to sexily spin, with waves of feminine essence emitting from her.  
"Pheromone attack!" Kat shouted, while continuing to spin, causing Kakarotto to stare toward her. All around Kat, light-pink haze was forming and then spreading out across the arena.  
After the haze spread throughout half of the arena and had covered much of Kakarotto's vision, Kat stopped spinning, causing the haze to disappear almost immediately.  
"What is she - " Kakarotto begin to ask, interrupting himself right when he clearly saw her.  
He instantly became enthralled by her beauty to an extremity, and to him, in those moments of euphoria, her sexiness and charm were unparalleled.  
Kat's right hand was placed in a provocative position by her right thigh, while her left hand was to the left side of her face, drawing further attention to her splendor.  
"My handsome warrior...,” she began to say, with her eyes captivating Kakarotto even more than they had before.  
"She's ... she's gorgeous!" Kakarotto said, with her beauty overcoming all his senses.  
"You shall lose this match, for my pleasure," Kat said, with her voice sounding all the sexier to Kakarotto's ears.  
Kakarotto had heard her say the word 'pleasure,' and he found the word to be agreeable. He then fully noticed her luscious lips, and they were shiny, yet lush with wonder...  
Approaching with the most suggestive of walks, and then caressing him with tenderness upon her arrival, she sought to take further advantage of the Saiyan.  
"Handsome stallion,” Kat began to say, while moving her left hand across the back of Kakarotto's hair, "declare that you forfeit.”  
She then nuzzled her nose against Kakarotto's left cheek, and Kakarotto remained motionless for many moments.  
Without warning, Kakarotto grabbed Kat's wrists, and Kat noticed that his facial expression was unyielding in focus upon her.  
"I...I love you!" Kakarot shouted. "Bear my child!"  
"What!" Kat shouted, in alarm.Kat was beyond shocked!  
Did he really say that he was in love her?  
She had known her Pheromone attack to be effective, but to this extent? It had never happened before! And on top of that, he wasn't even fully listening to her, and instead wanted her to obey him! Despite her attempts to break free from his grip, she couldn't escape.  
"You will come with me to my universe," Kakarotto said, with a voice of authority. "Now, get into the 13th Universe Balcony!"  
Kat sensed that the situation was rapidly deteriorating, and in desperation, she knew that she had to try as best as she could to enable her plan to still succeed.  
"Er ... okay, but forfeit first," she said, while unsure of how Kakarotto would react.  
"Silence!" Kakarotto yelled, right before smacking her across the face. "Do what I say, woman!"  
Kat fell to the ground, then after a few moments, got back up, while rubbing her reddened right cheek with her right hand.  
Then, she raised the middle finger of her left hand so Kakarotto could clearly see it.  
"Go to Hell!" she shouted. "What do you think you're doing!"  
Kakarotto swiftly approached and violently kicked upward into her chin, sending her rapidly backward.  
"I said silence!" Kakarotto shouted, and before Kat could fall to the arena floor, Kakarotto punched her across the face with his left fist.  
Kat now had many scratches across her body, her hair was disheveled, and her jacket was torn, with only one cord keeping the jacket on her chest, although her modesty was still concealed.  
"He is totally mad!" Kat screamed. "I give up! I give up!"  
"I said- " Kakarotto shouted, while winding up another punch with his right hand, causing Kat to look away in dread.  
She was crying in fear - the fear of being hit again.  
She fully expected to be hit, and she didn't even defend her face with her hands, knowing that it would not be enough.  
However, just as Kakarotto was about to punch her, someone intervened.  
Kat opened her eyes.  
She saw a man who was not as tall as Kakarotto and who was wearing similar armor and a red cape, with his hair pointed upward.  
Vegeta of Universe 13 had grabbed Kakarotto's right wrist, stifling his movement."Hit her again, and you're out of the tournament," Vegeta said. "Or worse, all four of us could be sent back to our universe without having the opportunity to use the Dragon Balls here.”  
"Ve-...Vegeta!" Kakarotto said, surprised that Vegeta had appeared so suddenly near him.  
In fact, he felt very strange, as if he had not been fully aware of the last few minutes.  
Vegeta turned to face Kat, scornfully, while she remained kneeling on the floor, exhausted from the ordeal.  
"As for you, you'll think twice before turning on a pervert!" Vegeta said.  
"A...pervert!" Kat shouted, fully realizing how terrifying of an ordeal it had truly been.

"With Kat's forfeit, Kakarotto wins the match!" an announcer said, while Vegeta and Kakarotto began to fly back toward the 13th Universe Balcony.  
Kat was now standing where she had been kneeling, and was now trembling as well.  
After some brief grief due to the intensified gravity, her friends had made their way to her, and were now directly in front of her.  
"He was ... terrifying," Kat said, while her friends sympathized.  
"He should be ashamed for what he did," one of her friends said. "I'm surprised, though, that your technique didn't fully work on him."  
"His power is too extreme," Kat said. "We need to leave this place!"  
Two of her friends were open to the suggestion, but one among them, Syd, adamantly wanted to stay so she could compete in her match.  
Kat was clinging to the arm of one her other friends while they began to return to the 6th Universe Balcony. While she knew she would cheer for Syd when it was eventually her turn to fight, all Kat truly wanted to do, as a result of the trauma she had experienced, was to go home.  
In the 16th Universe Balcony, Vegetto and Bra were in the midst of analyzing what had happened.  
"That was some quick decision-making on Vegeta's part," Bra said."From the moment he heard Kat shout that she wanted to give up, Vegeta knew that he had to act as prudently as possible," Vegetto said. "I sensed that he knew that he needed to stop the fight. Kakarotto is not like the version of Goku to whom I owe half of my existence; he's much more violent. Vegeta knew that the fight wouldn't stop unless he forced it to stop. Before Kakarotto could punch Kat again, Vegeta was a step ahead."  
While Bra relatively agreed with her father's assessment of the situation, she still felt somewhat uncertain about it.  
Vegetto's comments suggested that he had been able to sense Vegeta's internal escalation of psychological tension, and not merely his energy. Had this actually happened, or was her father merely making inferences after the fact?  
As with similar stories, she wondered whether or not her father had embellished this one...With the conclusion of the fight between Kakarotto of Universe 13 and Kat of Universe 6, the tournament's participants and spectators were awaiting the announcement of whom would fight next.  
Of the registered fighters from Universe 18, the only one who had not yet fought was Gotenks. Even though Gotenks had not yet graced the tournament with his absurd jokes and playful foolery, Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 were in the midst of being quite absurd and playful even so, while others in the 18th Universe Balcony were focusing on matters of significance.  
"It's a shame that Vegeta decided to stop Kakarotto from hitting Kat after she gave up," Pan said. "Don't get me wrong; I'm glad she wasn't hit again. All I'm saying is that if grandpa's alter-ego did hit her, that jerk would have been disqualified from the tournament."  
"He sure deserves to be disqualified," Gohan said. "It's hard to believe your grandpa could have turned out so ... horrible had things been a bit different."  
"I'm glad grandpa would never do any of that," Pan said. "But next round, I'm supposed to fight that creep. I really wish I could've avoided that. Honestly, papa, I'm not so sure I want to fight here anymore if it means I have to fight him."  
"We're here to fight, Pan, and no matter what our opponents are like, we should at least try our best to fight them," Goku said, with a modicum of forcefulness in his voice. "Otherwise, we'd be wasting our time here."  
Pan did not verbally respond, and solemnly reflected upon her grandpa's words as she looked toward the spherical arena above. She knew he was right and knew she needed to remain brave. She also hoped, for the sake of her counterpart from Universe 16 who soon was to fight one of her father's most hated enemies, that she, too, would remain brave.  
"Still, I think Kat is very lucky," Uub said, causing Pan and Gohan to redirect their attention toward him. "If Kakarotto had been stronger, or even more aggressive, he could have killed her without the Vargas properly reacting in time."  
"Maybe so," Gohan said. "I wonder if they're working on a way to respond faster when a situation like that happens."  
As if on cue, the blue Varga in charge of attending to the 18th Universe Balcony surprised its occupants by suddenly and silently arriving from behind them with an answer to their concerns.  
"If you're wondering about our ability to retain control over the tournament, have no worries," the Varga said, with what could reasonably be described as a smile. "If Kakarotto's friend had not intervened, you would have seen that Kakarotto would not have been able to hit Kat that final time. Since she forfeited, if Kakarotto's punch had gotten any closer, he would have been immediately disqualified and sent back to his universe. Each of the directors of the universes, like me, has a remote control for returning participants who either dangerously break the rules, or are simply too dangerous. Observe!"  
The small Varga opened up his vest and revealed what had been the concealed left side, from Gohan's perspective.  
The Varga then patted, but did not firmly press, a grey rectangular object that was within an interior pocket.  
To Gohan, it appeared that the device was very slim and lightweight. In fact, it appeared to be equipped with only one button.  
"Each of us has one of these devices at the ready at all times," the Varga said.  
The Varga then took the device out of its pocket and, while grabbing it with one hand, further showed it to the curious fighters and spectators of Universe 18.  
"I know that you all are very strong and very fast, but when any of you fight, I keep a finger on the button, just in case," the Varga said. "All the directors do this for the universes under their supervision. It doesn't matter how fast a warrior is, as we can send that warrior back to his or her universe in an instant without any problems."  
The Varga suddenly saw six of the people of Universe 18 redirect their attention to the Varga's right ... toward two of the universe's other guests. The Varga looked toward the two boys, one with disheveled black hair and the other with hair that was lavender and relatively well-kept. He saw that the two of them were entertaining themselves with a remote control, not only by repeatedly pressing its single button, but by throwing the remote back and forth like a ball.  
The Varga thought it looked rather fun, actually, and that the remote they were messing around with looked relatively like the one he was holding in his ... hand?

"What! Impossible!" the Varga yelled, upon recognizing that he was no longer holding the remote control and that somehow, the boys had acquired it.  
He had been holding it in his hand! He had not seen anyone move! The boys had not only swiped the precious item, but their roughhousing with it likely had degraded some of its components! The damage would be deducted from his pay, for sure!  
Gohan and Bra shifted behind their respective siblings and struck them in the back of the head. They were by no means impressed with the childish behavior. Had Trunks and Goten learned nothing about being courteous and refraining from taking things that did not belong to them?  
The remote now was lying on the floor, and Goku took the opportunity to retrieve the remote and give it back to the Varga.

"Obviously, we can easily prevent you from using this," Goku said, upon handing the remote to the Varga. "Goten is far from being the fastest here."  
"Hey! That's not true!" Goten shouted, as he was rather bothered by what his father had said.  
Trunks began to laugh, but a comment from his father quite thoroughly made him stop laughing.  
"I wouldn't make fun of Goten if I were you," Vegeta said. "You're only slightly stronger than him. And don't forget - you're weaker than your counterpart from Universe 12!"  
Trunks then thought of the conversation that he and his counterpart from Universe 16 had decided to have with Trunks from Universe 12. At the time, he had been ashamed of the fact that his counterpart from Universe 12 seemed to commit noble deeds and help others on a daily basis, while his own life had been one that was far easier, and more care-free. Vegeta's comment about the difference in their strengths intensified his downtrodden feelings even further.  
Gohan then spoke up, as he felt that he needed to address an important point with the Varga as a result of what had happened.  
"Since it was so easy for those two numbskulls to swipe your remote control, couldn't anyone who is fast enough and knows about the remotes just steal some of them and knock other participants out of the tournament by sending them back to their universes?" Gohan asked.  
"Thankfully, no," the Varga said, while placing the device back into his interior jacket pocket. "This remote and all the others can only be used by a Varga. The remotes were designed to only function after detecting a special electronic signature that only we, the Vargas, possess."  
"Is it kind of like a fingerprint?" Gohan asked.  
"It's more than than, actually," the Varga said. "The remote has various protocols to counter any attempt to copy or even clone a Varga's body."  
"Very impressive. Bulma would be interested in this," Gohan said softly, more to himself than anyone else.  
While Trunks and Goten were sulking near the wall of the balcony closest to the audience section, and while nearby, most of the other guests from Universe 18 were continuing to speak with the Varga, Vegeta squatted and began to draw a tournament chart in the sandy soil with his right index finger.  
He had not remembered some of the competitors' names, such as Mahissu, or even Bujin, but he decided that listing only the winners of each of the fights in the first round was sufficient for creating the chart.  
Vegeta wanted to know in advance exactly what he would have to do and what would have to happen for him to be able to fight certain opponents with whom he greatly wanted to fight. The chart would enable him to have a clearer picture of this, and upon completing the chart so that it reflected the outcomes of battles up to that point in the tournament, he began to strategize.  
"So, first I'll crush Trunks," Vegeta said, loud enough that his son of Universe 18 heard the comment.  
"What!" Trunks shouted, slightly anxious as to what his father was planning.  
"Not you!" Vegeta shouted, without even turning to look toward him.  
It was quite unfortunate, but those at the tournament who had observed the exchanges between Vegeta and his son from his universe might have perceived that Vegeta believed his son to be nothing more than a fool.  
Vegeta then resumed his scheming.  
"Then, I'll fight the winner between Pan and the other Kakarotto," Vegeta said, while looking toward Pan from his universe and then snickering right before speaking to her. "Hey, Pan! Lose your next match! Make me happy!"  
Pan jumped backward with a startle.  
"Huh?" she asked aloud.  
"If you refuse to do so, I'll hit you," Vegeta jokingly said, with another snicker.  
"But ... that's a threat!" Pan shouted.  
"Nope, it's the randomness of the rounds!" Vegeta said, with a smirk.  
"Dad, Vegeta isn't being nice!" Pan said, almost with tears.  
She knew that she needed to remain brave, but she also was in no way happy with the fact that she might have to fight Vegeta. She in no way believed that Vegeta would show any restraint!  
"Vegeta, stop bothering Pan, please," Gohan said, with a tone of frustration because of Vegeta's brashness.  
Gohan didn't want to appear overprotective, and in fact, he didn't feel that Vegeta had truly done anything wrong to Pan. After all, this was a tournament of martial arts combat, in which aggression was the norm.  
However, Gohan wondered to himself what Pan would do if presented with other tournament challenges.  
'How would she react if she had to fight me in this tournament?' he thought to himself. 'Would she refuse to fight me, or would she fight me as thoroughly as her grandpa would if he had to fight me? Regardless, she will not have to fight Vegeta in the tournament if she doesn't manage to defeat the misguided version of dad from Universe 13. Kakarotto seems even more dangerous than our own Vegeta did when I first met him. Since he apparently has no qualms about hitting grown women, would he also have no qualms about hitting young girls? I ... just don't know.'  
Without saying a word to anyone, Gohan kept these considerations to himself. After all, there was still time before the second round in which to contemplate these matters further, and if necessary, act on them ...  
Goku had observed Pan's complaints about Vegeta's behavior, but he had decided to not interfere. It was clear to Goku that Pan, likely because of her age and inexperience, did not yet possess the emotional maturity to better respond to Vegeta's taunting. Goku hoped that her experiences in this tournament would enable Pan to become not only physically stronger, but emotionally stronger as well.  
Goku found it to be all too true that Pan, so far, had been having too much fun with martial arts. She had mistaken martial arts for a mere game, and despite the relative rivalry between her and Uub, only the latter was serious enough about martial arts to have made good progress as a result of his training.  
After reflecting upon all of this, Goku decided that regardless of what happened in the tournament, Pan would benefit from a more rigorous training regimen that would begin after they returned to their universe.

In the 16th Universe Balcony, Gohan and Vegetto were in the midst of discussing what they regarded as the rather unexpected behavior of Vegeta from Universe 18.  
They had acknowledged that Vegeta of Universe 18 had not only willingly talked with his son from Universe 12, but during the fight with his counterpart from Universe 10 had made comments indicating his outright rejection of many of the values he had once cherished. Gohan and Vegetto had been especially surprised to hear Vegeta, in the midst of his battle against Vegeta from Universe 10, acknowledge his counterpart from Universe 13 as what he would have been like if he "hadn't found inner peace on Earth," suggesting that he was pleased this had happened and that the other versions of Vegeta were inferior for not having found that peace.  
"He is very different from the Vegeta I remember," Gohan said, while crossing his arms.  
"It seems he changed much over 20 years ...," Vegetto said, while considering how Vegeta of Universe 18 compared to the version of Vegeta within himself."What do you think happened?" Gohan asked.  
"I don't know," Vegetto said. "He seems even calmer than my predecessor had been right before fighting Buu ... perhaps we should try talking with some of the others in Universe 18 to find out more about this."  
Gohan nodded. He was indeed very curious about Vegeta's behavior, and he had wondered about the grin that Vegeta had possessed when taunting Pan ... as he could not readily describe what it meant. In fact, he wondered if Vegeta of Universe 18 had turned out as he had largely because of his decades of interaction during times of peace with Pan and all the other offspring of his and Goku's families.  
In thinking of Pan from Universe 18, Gohan decided that he wanted to briefly talk with his daughter from his universe.  
When he turned to talk with her, however, he noticed that she was nowhere to be found in the 16th Universe Balcony!  
'Oh!' Gohan thought to himself. 'There she is, talking with her counterpart in the 18th Universe Balcony!'  
It seemed to Gohan that both versions of Pan had become quite close with each other since the start of the tournament, probably even closer than the versions of Trunks and Goten had become.  
"It looks like they've become friends," Bra said, while arriving to the right of her father and farther to the right of her brother.  
"Yes, but after the tournament, they will need to say their goodbyes and will never get to see each other again," Vegetto said.  
"Bra, don't you want to make some friends here?" Videl asked, while arriving to Gohan's left and then clinging to his left arm.  
"No. My counterpart is too different from me," Bra said. "And those girls from Universe 6 are of no interest to me ..."

"Too bad there's not a female version of Broly here!" Vegetto said, with a laugh. "You could have become friends with her!"  
"And then what? I'd remain a woman with refined tastes, and she would probably have muscles so big that it would be unsightly!" Bra said.  
"Not necessarily," Vegetto said. "In fact, she might even look like you, but with all the gems and stuff that Broly wears!"  
With Bra's sour facial expression, she made her father more than aware that she was less than amused with the idea.  
"Relax! I was only joking!" Vegetto said, causing Bra to slightly lighten her mood. "Anyway, I can't wait to see Broly's strength!"  
"Aren't you worried?" Gohan asked.  
"No, not really," Vegetto said, right before acknowledging the presence of someone who had returned. "Hey, Piccolo! You're back!"  
Indeed, Piccolo had been absent since shortly after many of the fighters and spectators of Universes 16 and 18 had formally met each other, and had not returned until now. For much of the time, he had been in the 20th Universe Balcony to talk with the Vargas about Broly.  
"What's new?" Gohan asked.  
"Nothing, really. I haven't yet talked with my counterpart from Universe 18, if that's what you want to know," Piccolo said. "As for Broly, the Vargas are determined to let him fight, despite our advice."  
"Good!" Vegetto exclaimed.  
"They told me that they have a system they can use to send participants back to their universes," Piccolo said. "Each Varga directing one of the universes has a device, and there is a master device located in their main control room up there."  
Piccolo pointed toward the pillar protrusion that extended above the audience section, indicating the location of the main control room.  
"It is principally from there that the Vargas are supervising this tournament," Piccolo said.  
"Hm...," Vegetto said aloud, signifying his contemplation.  
He stood for a moment, perplexed and yet thoughtful, and then turned toward the 4th Universe Balcony to address Buu.Although they were physically separated by hundreds of meters, they still could communicate via telepathy, as the art was by no means a secret to Vegetto.  
*Hey Buu,* Vegetto said, summoning his attention via telepathy. *Have you noticed the devices the Vargas possess to send fighters back to their universes?*  
Although Buu did not answer, Vegetto continued his communication.  
*When either you or I fight Broly, it may be necessary to block the Vargas from using their devices to send him back to his universe,* Vegetto said telepathically, while grinning.  
Vegetto waited for an answer, but it never came. He then wondered exactly what Buu had in mind ...

In the 18th Universe Balcony, Uub once again expressed surprise that two counterparts could be so different from each other.  
"I'm still shocked that Kakarotto from Universe 13 was aggressively hitting Kat the way he was, but fortunately, our Goku isn't like that!" Uub said.  
"Clearly, Kakarotto never experienced life with his universe's version of my mother," Gohan said. "She never would have tolerated any of that crap. Actually, she probably would have dominated him in many ways."  
"It's because our own Kakarotto is married to his woman that he became so submissive!" Vegeta shouted, taking advantage of the unexpected opportunity to not only demean his rival, but to confess his dislike of Chi-Chi's overly assertive nature.  
While Trunks and Goten exploded with laughter, Videl, Gohan, Uub, and especially Goku sighed at the insult.  
"Speaking of assertiveness, I wonder how strong my counterpart from Universe 13 is," Vegeta suddenly asked aloud. "Is he a Super Saiyan? A Super Saiyan 2? Higher?"  
Considerations of his counterpart's abilities made him somewhat nostalgic. He had dreamed for years of becoming a true prince of Saiyans, with the distinction of being the strongest in his universe! But he had abandoned the idea, instead finding his rivalry with his own Kakarotto to be worthy enough.  
"Wait a minute, Vegeta," Goku suddenly said. "Didn't Bulma recently make you wash a few hundred dishes after losing a bet? Yeah, that's right! I remember coming to Capsule Corporation one afternoon and wanting to spar, but she said you were in the middle of cleaning them!"  
This time, Videl, Gohan, and Uub joined Goten and Trunks in laughter, while Vegeta began cursing.  
He had certainly had a rough time on the day he had lost that bet! And nothing he had said or promised had been able to persuade Bulma to negate the deal!  
He had to face the facts ... regarding character level, Bulma was not far from Chi-Chi!Pan of the universe 16 and Pan of the universe 18 continued to play together, also at the same time enjoying the small refreshments served by the Vargas until the next fight. Having fun on the big field that was offered to them under the ring, they finally decided to go visit the world 6.  
When they arrived, they noticed that the young Kat still had tears in her eyes. Kneeling, she tried to change her friends' minds to leave and return home immediately.  
Both Pans jumped over the wall and came to meet them. Encouraged by a friend of hers, Kat rose. The four young women stood before the two girls.

"What do you want?" asked the blonde-haired women, who reached for her sword hanging from her hip with her right hand.  
"Ha! Don't kid yourself! We are much stronger than you," said the Pan of the universe 16.  
The other Pan, of the 18 universe, was slightly surprised. She also thought that all those of her world were stronger than this group of four girls. Yet she had not thought to say that directly in front of them. Was it one of the small differences between herself and her counterpart of the universe 16? Influenced by Vegetto maybe?  
The group of six girls in the universe remained silent. One of them had almost started to argue, but had changed their mind. They had seen many people from the universe 16 and 18 fight. There were the Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta. And even the kid, Pan, beat another Saiyan... They knew the Saiyans "well" from their history books...  
The woman, who stood behind them with her black hair cut short, looked for a moment behind her, to Bojack and his two friends. They knew him too. Bojack was a reign of terror in their galaxy... he was a real pirate. Fortunately for them, the Bojack gang was not aware of their existence, until today. They wondered if it was not a mistake on their part and have shown up to the tourney...  
"We know we are far from the level of some fighters here, including that of the one of Bojack..." finally confessed the blonde, but we will do our best. So you take care of your own business.  
Kat looked at her friend who had just spoken, who seemed to say "just do your best", which she thought is not enough and it would be better to go away quietly. Beside her, the woman with long hair nodded. They had discussed this with pleasure with Bra, of the universe 18, but it was enough. She, at least, did not want to talk to little girls...  
"Your attention dear friends," finally began one of the Vargas. "The next fight will begin in a few minutes!"  
"We better go!" exclaimed one of the Pans. Both were disappointed to have lost some of their limited time in Universe 6.  
Joining hands, they jumped over the wall and then ran to their respective universes'.  
"Its surprising," said Bojack while folding his arms. "these girls know about us so much... but we have never even head of them!"  
"They do not pose a threat to us, so don't worry," said Zangya, while putting her hand through her golden hair.  
"We will demolish them when we go back home and find their hiding place," said Bujin.  
"We call to the ring Cell of Universe 17 and Dabura of Universe 11!" said a purple Varga.  
This news delighted many. In universe 11, Dabra uncrossed his arms.  
"Hehe, it's finally mine!"  
Warming up himself with large shoulder movements, he smiled, and then after a glance at Babidi, flew to the ring.  
"Majin Buu," Babidi began with a sadistic smile. "If Dabra loses, I'll let you eat him."  
The Djinn jumped for joy and shouted his name. After several seconds of euphoria, he stopped screaming and looked up to the ring to see the fight finally about to begin. He had only one desire: to see the demon lose!  
In universe 17, Cell smiled.  
"Ah, finally. This tournament became far too boring ... I'm never in the ring!"  
With his ego, he continued to himself, unaware that his small Cell Junior was twisting between his legs.  
"But at least there are many promising opponents," he said, thinking especially at the worlds 16 and 18, that he knew best. But there was this universe 8,with Freeza, and it was partially interesting. For others, there was Trunks and # 16 in the world 12, # 17 and # 18 in the world 14, this big guy in universe 6, and he was still wondering if he could defeat Majin Buu in universe 11 and his powers of regeneration.  
"I hope this Dabra is strong enough," Cell continued.  
Quietly, he flew to the ring, and landed gently, arms folded against the devil. In universe 16 and 18, Gohan and Piccolo discussed the upcoming fight.  
"Now we can see Cell's power," said Gohan.  
"You are the only one who has fought both, Gohan. You are the best one who will be able to compare them," Piccolo said, arms crossed, looking towards the ring.  
"I will watch this fight with great attention," replied Gohan.  
In the universe 16, Vegetto was leaning against the wall of the entrance. He was eager to see this little battle. Bra joined him to lean against the wall next door, so they could talk quietly.  
Behind Gohan and Piccolo of the universe 18, stood Vegeta and Son Goku."I cannot wait to see the progress made by Cell!" Goku said.  
"I bet there has been none at all," replied the prince of Saiyans.  
"Hm... you think?" asked his rival, curiosity on his face.  
"Anyway, if he wins the next two rounds, he will find himself againt me, and I could slaughter him!"  
"Hey, do not go to fast Vegeta, you have to beat Trunks first.  
"He's okay, but not as good as me."  
"During the Cell Games, you were close, in terms of force. I still wonder which one of you would have won in a duel.  
"The winner would obviously be me, Kakarotto! And don't question my superiority!"  
"Hey Vegeta!" said Goku, "You never said how your training was in the Room of Spirit and Time! Tell me!"  
"No."  
"Come on!"  
"I do not remember it," Vegeta replied.  
"But if..."  
"No!"  
"I'll ask Trunks..."  
"Kakarotto!"  
"Just kidding!"  
The Vargas' loudspeaker interrupted the frenimies:  
"The fighters are up! Let the battle commence!"  
Watched by thousands of spectators, Cell and Dabra got ready for their battle.  
"Tell me," began Dabra," Have we met in your universe?"  
Cell quickly devised several possible answers. He might as well tell the truth, he choose the most appropriate response, and most fun.  
"Who knows?" How about yours?"  
"Never. How about a warm up?"  
Cell said nothing. A warm up? Why not? After all, he did not know his opponent at all. He might as well.  
With a smile, Cell accepted the request. He uncrossed his arms, his legs parted slightly for better support and waited. Dabra noticed the defensive position of Cell. Having also won a smile, he attacked.  
The blow he gave to the face of the green creature was an inordinate delay. Cell parried easily with one hand, and attacked with the other, far from being at its maximum. Dabra dodged the attack in turn by pivoting on itself. He grabbed the hand of Cell that had grabbed his fist and took advantage of his movement to dodge add strength: he sent Cell into the air. But he maneuvered it easily to stop dead just a few meters above the ground. Head down, he saw Dabra pounce on him again. He slipped away without difficulty several punches and kicks before being surprised by an attack at the foot faster than others. Hit on the neck, he fell quickly to the ring, but made movement with his legs, two seconds remaining crouched while Dabra arose against him, quietly.  
"So," he said.  
"How interesting..." Cell retorted by attacking.

This time it was he who turned around his opponent to knock him out of moves more quickly and accurately. Dabra parried and slipped for a long time before getting an elbow in the stomach, which made him spit.He gasped for a short time, then he attacked a con-kick with the right knee against Cell, who expected it. Falling to his knees, Dabra tried an elbow on his neck, to no avail as Cell had a small roll forward to dodge. Rising quickly, he charged again at Dabra, looking a little less sarcastic, more seriously. Fast and powerful blows were exchanged at breakneck speed. Several times, each of the two opponents managed to hit the other. Some shock waves were felt in this exchange of blows. Finally, after several long minutes neither of the two fighters had no advantage over the other, they separated.  
Now standing about ten meters from each other, the real fun would begin. Dabra took another position, and told his opponent:  
"Now,I will show everyone the power of a real demon! I will not hold back!"  
Cell smiled. It pleased him that he did retain more. He also planned to go to his next level. Dabra attacked, with confident air, pouncing on his opponent, right arm extended forward, hand open, closed left fist, ready to land a punch. Cell began to avoid by grabbing Dabra's neck by the right hand, then he avoided the punch that was trying to touch the face. Two steps backwards, he parried a nudge that made Dabra swivel. Moving forward, he turned once again to finally reach Cell face another nudge.  
Falling to the ground, Cell grumbled. Dabra flew while Cell got up. The devil lost his smile for a more warlike and he rushed towards the green creature who served as his opponent. The latter jumped to the devil. Their forearms collided violently. Their speed made them turn around before being separated again. Both fighters turned at the same time and both threw a ball of energy. They collided and exploded, leaving for a moment a cloud of dust. Cell and Dabra had quickly returned to fight into a melee.

No spectators could see how the confrontation had taken place under the cloud of dust, but before it dissipated, Dabra stormed up to land on the ring. Cell flew vertically, slowly, to rest in turn, smiling, obviously happy to have kicked his opponent before.  
"You are doing pretty well," priased Dabra.  
"You have not seen any thing yet."  
The way he answered displeased the devil, who, after shaking his fists and teeth, rushed again on Cell. The latter managed to see the great movements of his opponent. Rapidly contracted his muscles and his body moved so violently counter the attack of the servant of Babidi. He gave a violent kick. Dabra had just enough time to slow its speed and put his arms before him to counter the attack. The shock was more violent than any blow that had been given so far. Under the shock wave, broke the ring around the impact point. Dust accumulating in the shock wave, the spectators saw no more than a blur around the two combatants.

Dabra felt a sharp pain in his forearm, but then attacked with an uppercut that his target. Cell flew through the air with a jaw pain, and could not defend against Dabra who had caught up. Catching his legs, the demon swung rapidly on itself, on dozens of towers, each time taking more and more speed, before dropping his opponent in the direction of the ring. Cell crashed over under a mass of dust. Dabra did not wait longer. Arms forward, palms open, he cried when he swung a strong concentrated attack of ki. The ball of energy came crashing into the ring, half of which exploded on impact. The battle went on.Dabra's successful attack shocked many, especially in Universes 16 and 18. Cell had pretty much been dominating the beginning of the fight, but was not fast enough to dodge the ki attack that the Demon King had released.  
The ring was broken in half, pieces were falling everywhere, and a large cloud of gray dust obscured the view of the spectators. Dabra, hovering, barely remained visible, but there was no news of Cell. Even the announcers were trying to trace him through the thick dust.  
"I think this Cell isn't as strong as we thought," said Gohan from Universe 18  
"He doesn't have the speed of a Super Saiyan 2..." said his father behind him.  
"I highly doubt that he perished with that attack, nonetheless..." continued Piccolo, knitting his eyebrows.  
The dust cloud was finally beginning to fade... Cell appeared, standing straight with his arms folded behind him. Dabra, above him, winced. That was no ordinary attack that he had launched.  
"Could he have possibly moved to dodge and then returned to the impact to make us think that he hadn't moved?"  
Cell uncrossed his arms, murmuring, "Interesting... Time to get serious." He turned and quickly flew to Dabra.  
The latter was astonished by his opponent's speed and failed to counter the knee that hit him the stomach. Once again, the attack made him wince and spit blood. But he recovered and counterattacked. With a broad and precise movement, he managed to deal a violent kick behind Cell's head. The blow rang in Cell's head for a second, giving Dabra the opportunity to move on to other attacks: a punch to the stomach, an uppercut, a kick under the chin and another to the stomach before a final blow to the face. But this time, Cell blocked the last attack with his forearm and stared at the demon... smiling.  
Grabbing the demon's arm, the bio-android kicked his opponent who failed to recover before being dropped by Cell after he finished having fun. Dabra seemed to be unconscious and floated in the air... until Cell approached him once again. The demon opened his eyes and released a ball of ki. It did no damage to the green creature who blocked with his arm, but the distraction allowed him to grab the crest on Cell's head, enabling him to jump over the android and land quickly a few feet away.  
As the smoke from the ki ball faded, Dabra outstretched his arms and yelled. Cell did not look back, only being able to whisper a mere, "shi..." before being hit by the full force of the attack in the back. The explosion that followed was loud, and once again, Cell was shrouded in a cloud of smoke.Dabra laughed in victory. Babidi, in Universe 11's wing, did the same, also thinking it was over. But suddenly, the demon fell silent and bit his tongue out of the astonishment that was provoked by the scene unfolding before him. Cell stood there, smiling and standing in perfect condition, amid the dust that was quickly dissipating. He was holding out his hands behind his back, and they were lightly burned and scorched, smoking because of the attack.  
"You bought that?" Cell asked with a smile, not even looking back.  
"Such reflexes!" Dabra had to admit, "He's strong..."  
Cell had heard, and sneered once again. He began to say to his opponent, "Same for you. In fact, you're probably the strongest fighter I've ever had the chance to meet."

Dabra got angry before retorting, "Of course I'm the strongest! I am the Lord of the Dark Kingdom of the Demons!"  
In Universe 18's wing, Gohan told his friends, "I feel like my suspicions about his power are confirmed..."  
"No improvement?" asked Goku.  
"No. It's exactly the same power as it was at the beginning of the Cell Games."  
In Universe 16, the same topic rose, but Vegetto replied, "We all know that it's impossible that he didn't improve in twenty-seven years."  
"Dabra's power level is also identical," analyzed Gohan.  
"For Dabra, that's normal," Piccolo intervened. "He doesn't seem like the kind to train, like Freeza and his family."  
Dabra took a deep breath. In his lungs, the oxygen reacted with other chemicals. When the demon felt he was ready, after only a few seconds, he opened his mouth and exhaled violently. A powerful shot of yellow and orange flames was released like a geyser in the direction of the green creature.  
The flames clashed with Cell's vivacity. He deployed his energy effectively, creating around him a shield of energy that the fire could not cross. But Dabra did not cease his attack yet. Drawing in on his ki, he accelerated the chemical process in his lungs. His whole body heated up. The audience could even see the heat haze around him, creating perspiration that dripped profusely off the red demon's skin. The flames themselves changed color with the added power: they went from yellow to red to blue, expanding the surface area of the attack.  
But after several long seconds, Dabra was exhausted, and Cell's shield still glowed consistently. Worse, it was growing in volume. Lightning began to flash over the transparent sphere, which covered over a meter in diameter at the moment. Ever expanding, the shields were already hitting the breathless Dabra.  
Gathering his strength, he clasped his hands, picking up speed, and gave a powerful blow to a single point of impact on the shield. Under the force of the strike, the shield became deformed, as it was were flexible and  
supple... but to a certain limit. The shield burst like a soap bubble, with the same popping noise. It seemed laughable, almost funny, to the audience that was expecting a huge explosive noise.  
Cell did not even budge. He sneered and looked at his opponent, who regained his breathing laboriously, but didn't show anything in his eyes. The fruit of the genius of Dr. Gero gave a distasteful look to the demon before pointing his fingers.  
"What a waste of energy... try to dodge this!" he cried at last with a sadistic and confident grin.  
From his fingers sprung a multitude of beams: bright purple, narrow, and very fast beams that zoomed straight to Dabra. As he managed to avoid them, not without difficulty, many people recognized the technique: Universe 16 and 18, but also Freeza and his family.  
The youngest son was the most astonished. "But..." he said, losing all poise, "my technique!"  
Cell possessed the cells of several of the most powerful beings in the universe. In addition to Son Goky, Vegeta and Piccolo, he received those of Freeza, obtained through a small robot that was manufactured by Dr. Gero. The result was Cell's ability to reuse various techniques that were not his own.  
However, he had improved. Freeza felt it. The bright rays seemed more violent and rapid than his own. "This Cell... could he be at even a higher power level than me?" he asked himself. He turned his head slightly to the right at his big brother... He was easily defeated by a young man... Once again, Freeza wondered what his actual chanced were of winning the tournament...  
Dabra, after avoiding a good fifty laser beams, saw one of them pass by only a few inches from his chest."Urk... That was fast... and he's even faster!"  
Cell smiled once again. He was having lot's fun playing with his opponent  
"This is just too easy."  
In less than half a second, Cell placed his hands to his temples, fingers spread. He shouted the name of an effective technique that saved the life of Son Goku and his friends several times, a technique that was once the mark of a man who was robbed of cells.  
"Taiyoken!"

A powerful light emitted and invaded the stage. All the people who were facing Cell were dazzled. The same can be said of Universe 18. While Goku, his children, and Uub had time to protect their eyes, Pan did not have this reflex and seemed to go blind for several long seconds. Vegeta, himself, had not covered his eyes with his arms like everyone else. Idly, he had just closed his eyelids, like Piccolo... or not. The latter began to rethink his fight against Freeza. He recalled having suffered the same attack of violent lasers. These few seconds of nostalgia from a bygone era in which he was finally number 3 in the universe (Damn! And now he was definitely the fifth strongest...) made him lose the split second he needed to turn a blind eye in order to avoid being blinded by Cell's Taiyoken. Embarrassed and almost ashamed, he bowed his head slightly, hoping nobody would notice his temporary blindness.  
Dabra had been quick. He had noticed Cell's new position and was prepared for anything. Taking advantage of his speed, he managed to dodge the latest round of violent death beams and positioned himself behind Cell. The latter saw him move, but had no time to turn, unless he wanted to?

From his right hand, Dabra conjured a sword of dark energy. In a clean, precise and powerful movement, he cut Cell almost at waist level. And arm and a wing fell to the ring, three-quarters of his abdomen had been separated from his waist. The effectiveness of this word greatly astonished Cell. He did not expect it at all. It was the first time this Dabra had dealt him so much damage. The latter, surprised that his sword did not strike throug, redoubled his effort to finish the job, yelling, "DIE!"  
However, nothing moved. His forces clashed with an invisible wall. The sword did not move an inch: Cell was holding the sword in his left arm and did not allow any valid motion to be made.  
"Are you only capable of attacking from behind?" asked the humanoid insect.  
"Wha...?"  
Cell slowly took the blade off his body... and turned to Dabra, still clutching the sword. With a victorious smile, he snapped:

"Anyway, you can't kill me with this!"  
He broke the tip of the sword with his hand... which became dust that dissolved into the air. The rest of Dabra's sword disappeared when he smiled to mock his foe.  
"Kof! With a half-open body.. and one arm off, you've already lost!"  
Cell smiled again. Definitely, this Dabra over here believed it too... He underestimated his opponent a lot. With a cry, Cell was regrowing his arm and wing and sewed up his stomach (as if by magic) to his legs."You were saying?" Cell amusingly asked, stretching his new arm.  
"But... how?" the demon managed to say, frozen with fear. "You should be seriously injured!"  
Dabra knew that few creatures could regenerate. He was not surprised that the Namek could do so, but had not failed to note the huge drop in his energy. The fact that this warrior of an unknown race could regenerate was already impressive, but the fact that he could do so without losing energy... It was monstrous! Only one other creature could do so... Majin Buu!  
In Universe 11's wing, Majin Buu was not moving. He watched with a curious eye, his hand on his very round chin. Beside him, Babadi became enraged.  
"That idiot! He's gonna get it if this keeps up!"  
A few meters from each other, the two opponents faced off. Cell suddenly pressed two fingers against his forehead and prepared an attack that he had stolen through his cells, precisely, from a Namek.  
"Take that! Makankosappo!"

He launched Piccolo's signature technique: a ball of energy followed by a beam surrounded by a purple spiral that rushed toward the demon who was too tired to dodge. He was hit in the chest and seemed to withstand the technique for a fraction of a second, but was finally pierced and ended up coughing blood.  
In Universe 13, two warriors, amused since the tournament began, commented on the fighting they saw. This latest attack did not render them speechless.  
"Tsss... Being affected by such a simple technique," said Raditz quietly."Did he take that on purpose?" chained his brother Kakarotto.  
Little did they know that in half the universes present at the tournament the same Raditz had been tricked by Piccolo's Makankosappo twice, one time in which Son Goku, aka Kakarotto, had to sacrifice both their lives for the technique... If only they knew... they would have heart attacks!  
Dabra, dying, did not give up... He had one last card to play! Had he known, he would have used it much earlier!  
"I'm going to finish this!" he said to his opponent, breathless, his pierced body bleeding to death, with one eye closed, at the brink of unconsciousness...  
Dabra spat. But this time it was not blood. It was white with saliva, a pasty little substance. Cell did not expect it, and had no time to avoid the spittle that landed on his left thigh. Immediately the saliva solidified and covered more and more of Cell's body at a staggering rate, gathering momentum as it spread.  
"Ugh! What? What did you do to my perfect body?!"  
At that moment, his leg was already fully transformed into stone and the right leg was almost finished as well... The cursed spit was climbing slowly towards Cell's belly and chest.  
"You're done for, insect!" said Dabra, "I've won!"  
Cell seemed to be caught off guard while his upper torso was being encased in stone. Dabra felt victorious...  
"Did you really believe that?" Cell was finally grinning and stopped struggling like a poor animal trapped in a corner.  
Dabra instantly lost any sense of victory to Cell's eternal sneer. The latter grabbed his head with both hands and... ripped it off! A spray of blood covered the gray stone sculpture that was once Cell's body, which fell to the ring, its arms already petrified into stone. Cell's head fell a bit more slowly to the ground... And the stone body cracked into a thousand pieces after landing.  
"He killed himself?" wondered Dabra as he looked at the ring.  
He was hoping for that to be the case. He was weakening and was already unable to maintain flight. He slowly lowered his altitude.  
On the ground, the head of Cell began to speak, still grinning.  
"A suicide? Been there, done that!"  
Concentrating his ki, the bio-android instantly regenerated, literally from head to toe. Dabra's distressed face showed that he could no longer endure any more. Managing to whisper one final word, he fell head first to the ground beside the cracked stone body of Cell.  
As he rose, Cell congratulated his opponent all the same."Saliva that encases bodies in stone... not bad. Nice try..."  
"Cell won," said Gohan to Universe 16's Piccolo. "He was actually stronger than Dabra."  
"The regeneration helped a lot," added Piccolo to counter his former pupil's argument. "But he's still weaker than when he came back, after your father's sacrifice."  
Cell possessed the cells of Piccolo, a Namek. Their race was also known for their amazing hearing, which obviously Cell had inherited. And he was very interested in the discussion that took place.  
"Weaker, eh?" He thought as he smiled. "So I perfectly managed to hold myself to the level I was at the beginning of my Cell Games."  
"Thirty seconds have passed!" cried the announcer. "Cell from Universe 17 wins!"  
"They're gonna be in for a treat when they fight me now," Cell thought as he returned to his wing where a Cell Junior was waiting to congratulate his father. "On the other hand... I wonder howt they beat me in their Universe if my failed suicide did happen. I was clearly superior to this Son Gohan..."  
As he arrived at his area in front of his blue Mini Cell, the creature made by Dr. Gero thought back to those days... twenty-seven years ago...Twenty-seven years ago...

Son Gohan had become powerful ... He had proven that Cell was outclassed with just the few blows he had landed on him. Cell had made the same mistake as Vegeta before him, allowing his opponent to excel ... only to be defeated.  
Having failed with the Kamehameha, he powered up, increasing his strength, at the cost of his speed. Now he was making the same mistake Trunks had made during their confrontation prior to the Cell Games, but it was futile. Cell had no chance. Gohan's attacks were precise and powerful, causing him to stagger and almost lose consciousness.  
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain throughout his entire body. He felt paralyzed; it was as if his innards were being torn apart. Eventually, he vomited ... someone.  
“That's ... # 18! He vomited # 18!” cried Kulilin.  
Son Gohan, with his superior Super Saiyan 2 aura, looked down at the cyborg who was lying in a pool of whitish digestive fluids, before once again setting his sights on his opponent, who was still writhing in pain. After several moments of pain, his body changed ... There he stood, frightened, in the form he had been in prior to absorbing # 18 once again... The very same form that "Super Vegeta" had outclassed. Now it was really over for Cell. Even without Gohan and Goku, Vegeta and Trunks could eliminate him. Perhaps even Piccolo could, after all no one knew how much he had improved from his training in the Room of Spirit and Time. The teenager had grown tired of this fight.  
“Fighting you isn't of interest to me anymore. It's over for you”. Gohan sighed.The green creature clenched his fists. He was furious. How? How could this kid have such power? How had he defeated him? It's not possible!  
Cell cried out with all his might:  
“You ... You'll pay dearly for this!”  
Cell focused all of his ki within his own body. Within seconds, he had doubled, even tripled in volume, swelling up like a giant balloon.  
Once he reached his maximum volume, Cell laughed strangely, telling Gohan:  
“It's over! In one minute I'll explode! I won't die alone… I'll take the entire planet with me!”  
“H...how?” Gohan wondered how he could have let this happen.  
“Heh heh! …and don't bother begging me to stop, because I can't!”  
“I won't let you do this!” cried the boy, warning Cell.  
“Oops! I don't recommend you attack me! The slightest shock may cause me to blow myself up prematurely! Heh heh heh! Only thirty seconds left!”  
Son Gohan was distraught ... What do I do? He'll destroy everything...  
“— Twenty seconds!”  
"I didn't consider all the risks! Dad was right!"  
“D...dammit!” said the young man as he fell to his knees, pounding the ground with his fists, leaving marks on the ground. “This is... It's my fault! I should have ended it right away!”  
“Ten seconds!” Cell cried, overjoyed to have won even if he’d die.”  
His death would be beautiful. He had lived his dream to have the perfect body, to defeat Goku, and even his son who had surpassed him. And all the terror he had inspired! What a joy it had been!The monster continued to boast...  
“It's a draw, but I am very satisfied by the look of fear on all of your faces! Ha ha ha!”  
Cell suddenly stopped laughing. Between him and Son Gohan, Goku had appeared.  
“Eh?” he said with surprise as Goku put a hand on his swollen belly.  
“Good job Gohan! You were great!”  
“Da...Dad?  
“Tell your mother I'm sorry I had to leave...”  
With these words, Son Goku teleported along with Cell ... Saving the Earth and his friends ... They reappeared on a small green planet, populated by just a small blue god and his monkey.  
“Sorry Kaiou-sama, but I had no other choice”. Goku had not been able to say anything else when Cell exploded with a scream of despair...  
Son Goku apologized profusely to Kaiou-sama. Because of him, he was dead, as well as Bubbles. As they were flying towards Enma's place, Son Goku wondered:  
“I don't see Cell's spirit, was he sent straight to hell?”  
Kaiou-sama stopped suddenly.  
“You're right ... He isn't here! Yet everyone must see Enma after death!”  
“What does this mean?” asked Son Goku, as he began to wonder. Then he came to a realization that made him shudder.  
“This means Cell isn't dead! He's still alive!”  
“H ... how?On Earth, everyone gathered around Gohan mourning. Kulilin approached the cyborg, # 18, picking her up. Vegeta asked:  
“What are you doing with that cyborg? If she's still alive, then kill her!”  
“No!” replied Kulilin, “She isn't so bad...”  
Suddenly, a violent wind pushed back the whole group, surrounding them in a dust storm. At the origin, there was an aura of evil, a powerful aura surrounded by blue lightning. No one saw who it belonged to, but they knew this ki all too well.  
“This ... this aura is...” Vegeta began.  
“No..!” Trunks said, frightened.  
“It's not possible”, Piccolo said through gritted teeth.  
Yet it had happened. The creature stretched out his arm, pointing a finger. A thin beam shot out violently toward the group. It went past Piccolo, Vegeta, and Gohan, nearly hitting Tenshinhan and finally ... it struck and pierced through Trunks, who fell to the ground heavily.  
“Hahaha! Who's the lucky winner?” asked the monster. “Oh? It's Trunks?”  
Everyone turned to the familiar voice. The smoke cleared and there he was, Perfect Cell. His terrifying ki was even greater than before and his body was covered with an aura much like that of Gohan as a Super Saiyan 2.  
“How? How'd he do it?” asked Yamcha.  
Cell explained: he had also been just as surprised as them. As his original nucleus from which he came from had not been destroyed, he was able to regenerate himself, like Piccolo. And due to his Saiyan cells, he came back even stronger since he had recovered from what should have been a fatal injury.  
“Additionally”, he continued, “I am now able to use the instant transmission like Son Goku. In short, I'm back with an even more perfect body than before! Not only did Son Goku fail to kill me, but he left me with some great gifts!”  
Son Gohan, who had powered down into a normal Super Saiyan, stood up, using his anger to once again exceed that level. His hair stood up on his head once more and lightning surrounded his body. He smiled.  
“Eh? What's so funny? Have you gone mad?” asked Cell.  
“I'm just happy to have the chance to avenge my father who died because of my own arrogance. I'm just dying to crush you!”  
“Ptui!”, Cell spat, “Don't be so sure of yourself... It will not be so easy this time”.  
Vegeta, who had been behind Gohan, had turned to see him transform. But his eyes looked back at Yamcha and Tenshinhan who were tending to Trunks. The poor boy, his chest had been pierced and he had taken his last breath.  
“T...Trunks...”  
He exploded with anger, thinking of the losses they had suffered. He thought of Kakarotto, who had sacrificed himself, and his only son, who lost his life without a chance to defend himself. It would not be a kid who would deal with Cell, but him, the prince of the Saiyans! Screaming, he rushed toward Cell, who had been surprised by this reaction. He transformed into a Super Saiyan, and launched a Kikoha with all his might toward the green creature. He continued launching more bursts of golden energy without regard for his own safety. Drawing from his anger, he harnessed an enormous strength.  
He stopped after several tens of seconds, exhausted ... He breathed a while ... until Cell appeared before him in an instant, with no visible damage. Striking him with the back of his arm, Cell sent Vegeta crashing to the ground. Barely conscious and Super Saiyan, but no longer could he move. He would not be able to avoid Cell's next attack.  
“Die, Vegeta!”  
Dr. Gero's monster cried as he threw a ball of energy at the Prince of Saiyans. Son Gohan hurried to try and rescue Vegeta, but he was too late, he hadn't been fast enough: the attack hit the teenager on his left side, exploding on impact.  
When the smoke cleared, Gohan was injured, lying on Vegeta who still could not move. The young Super Saiyan stood up slowly in pain, noticing that he could barely move his arm and left leg. But he kept his sights on Cell...as he rose.  
“We've played around enough, I'm going to end this now”, Cell said, assuming the stance for the Kamehameha.  
Son Gohan was in disbelief. Piccolo, terrified by what was going on, asked Kulilin if they had any senzu left. Unfortunately, they had already used them all after their battle against the Cell Juniors. The Namek winced. Gohan would have to deal with this alone, wounded, against this super Perfect Cell...  
“The time has come”, continued Cell. “You're going to die along with your entire planet!”  
Cell's ki increased. It was even more impressive than before. Behind Gohan, Vegeta began to crawl away.  
“What a disgrace! I became nothing but a burden for you. I'm sorry, Gohan.”  
This surprised him. If Vegeta apologized ... then he must have really thought they had no chance ... Furthermore, Piccolo cried, furious at being so powerless.  
“So?” Cell said, proud of himself. “I have a power capable of destroying not only the Earth but the entire solar system! Come Gohan, show me your strength!”Gohan had seemed to have admitted defeat, sure that his enemy would finish him off this time, when Cell noticed the young boy talking to himself. After a few seconds he saw that the young man had found some determination. Focusing his ki, he prepared his Kamehameha with only one hand.  
“Die!” Cell cried as he launched his attack toward Gohan.  
The two Kamehameha Waves clashed, forming a giant ball of light that made the earth tremble... Both attacks were initially of equal strength. But gradually, the teenage Super Saiyan was weakening.  
“Cell has the upper hand!” Piccolo cried. “Dammit!”  
“It's over for you!” Cell cried. “I'll finish you off!”  
Through Kaiou-sama, Gohan's father tried to support him, hoping to give him the strength and courage to defeat Cell, but the boy fell to his knees.  
“I can't ... go any further ... sorry Dad, I can't do it, it's too much for me”.  
“No Gohan!” his father cried. “You can do it! You can defeat him! You have to believe in yourself and draw out all of your power!”  
But, Gohan was exhausted; he couldn't even maintain the level of Super Saiyan 2. Cell shouted one last time triumphantly:  
“Farewell Gohan! Give your father my regards!”  
Before the eyes of his friends, Gohan was blown away by the power of Cell's Kamehameha, which killed him before he literally disintegrated. When the attack faded, the dust eventually dispersed into the air. There was absolutely nothing left of Gohan's body. Cell had won the Cell Games, which he himself had convened. Cell observed the crater left by his attack with pride. His opponent was gone and now nothing could oppose him, aside from a few humans and a Namek who were still shocked to have lost everything in a split second. But they certainly did not pose any real threat to him.  
Kulilin fell to his knees. Near him, Tenshinhan and Yamcha were barely standing. Piccolo had just lost the person who mattered most to him. He felt distraught. He knew he was soon to disappear. He who had once protected the planet as Kami-sama ... And Dende? He had just been appointed God of the Earth...just a few days ago.  
And Son Gohan? His father had believed in him, and this was the result! The fools! They brought a child to be slaughtered!  
“It's over”, he said, his eyes wide with horror.Cell was exhausted. The Kamehameha had consumed a lot of energy. He had to admit, even injured, Son Gohan had still packed quite a punch…but now it was finally over. Satisfied with his victory, he decided that he must now deal with the remaining participants... to ensure his supremacy.  
He looked at his opponents... They were completely distraught. They knew they had lost. Cell smiled, out of breath. "I am exhausted...This might be your last chance!"  
Vegeta had crawled away during the struggle. Gohan was dead and he was to blame. Cell, who had come back from the dead even stronger than before, had taken the life of his son as well.  
The Saiyan Prince exploded with anger, dashing towards Cell, bombarding him with balls of energy, not once considering the consequences of doing so. Did he really think he could beat him? The attack had no effect whatsoever on Perfect Cell, who would have destroyed the Prince of Saiyans earlier had Gohan not intervened and saved him ... losing his left arm and half of his energy in the process...During the clash of the two Kamehameha, Vegeta had considered intervening to help. Ultimately, he had abandoned the idea, thinking it would make no difference...What could he do? Maybe he should have tried something, he thought as he looked at Cell, his blood boiling.  
"It's...all my fault !" The prince uttered to himself, focused his energy and transforming into a Super Saiyan.

"Haaah!" he exclaimed.  
It was useless and he knew it. Kakarotto, Gohan, Trunks, all had perished. And now...only he remained.  
Cell smiled as he observed this scene. He could still have a little fun after all, and so he allowed them to attack him.  
Vegeta concentrated his energy and got into the stance for one of his best attacks. A few yards away, Kulilin picked himself up. It seemed clear that this was their last chance. He turned to his friends. "Don't just stand there!" he cried. Tenshinhan and Yamcha nodded and like Vegeta, they all prepared their most devastating attacks. They surrounded the monster, positioning their bodies side by side. Tenshinhan flew a few meters above the ground and brought up his hands to form a triangle, which he aimed at Dr. Gero's monster. Yamcha and Kulilin concentrated their energy as well, each charging a Kamehameha as their energy took the form of light in their hands. Desperately, they tried to generate as much power as they could.  
Piccolo had remained in place, watching as the Saiyan and the Earthlings were doing all they could with their last chance. Memories of Gohan filled the Namek's thoughts. He was his best friend, his only friend, and he was no more. He had to attack, at least to honor his memory. He put two fingers to his forehead, concentrating his energy. Then he launched his attack with everything he had as the others did the same:  
"Final Flash!" shouted Vegeta as he produced the most powerful attack that he ever had, for the sake of avenging his son.  
"Shin Kikoho!" exclaimed Tenshinhan, firing his ki in bursts as his friends, Yamcha and Kulilin, each fired their Kamehameha with all their strength.

All at once, they attacked. It was the first time that all of these warriors had united their strength at such a critical moment, into a single attack. Cell smiled as he watched all their attacks as they came toward him, all different but similar in power to each other. The fools were so naive...He put two fingers to his forehead and used the technique that Goku had taught him just before he died.As the attacks crashed into where Cell had stood, they exploded on impact. Vegeta, who had managed to keep track of Cell's ki as it appeared just behind him, turned and saw with horror that Cell had escaped the attack.  
Cell slammed him with his fist, not allowing the Prince of Saiyans a chance to defend himself, sending him crashing straight into the ground causing a crater. The blow had been sharp and powerful, but Cell was far from having used all of his strength. Vegeta got up in pain, covered with wounds caused by crashing into the ground with such force. He looked back at Cell who slowly came and stood before him, taunting him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, hesitating a few seconds before finally pouncing on his opponent: Cell was mocking him!  
The exchange that followed was very much to the advantage of Gero's monster. He easily avoided every blow of his adversary; amused to embellish some...sometimes willingly allowing them to connect, but he suffered no damage. Cell went so far as to openly humiliate the Saiyan...giving him two slaps to the face. Red faced, Vegeta looked up at Cell. Cell pointed his finger at him, ready to launch an attack that would kill him for sure.  
Piccolo had seen the whole thing, and although he did not like Vegeta much, he knew he needed his help. Quickly, he put two fingers to his forehead and then pointed them at Cell while flying rapidly towards the two combatants. The Makankousappo struck Cell's arm, catching him slightly off guard, but he deflected the trajectory of the attack. Vegeta had been saved in time and as he was recovering, he watched as Piccolo arrived at full speed, but Cell stopped him short of landing with a knee to his stomach. The Namek gasped as he was struck again by an uppercut that sent him into the air.While Cell watched Piccolo in the air, he received a kick to his face from the Saiyan Prince, causing him to stagger back two steps. Vegeta continued the assault with several kicks, as he screamed with rage.  
Kulilin helped Piccolo up. Beside them, Yamcha was sweating in fear, trembling. What could they do? There must be some way! He noticed suddenly that Tenshinhan, who was still in the air, was approaching Cell and the Saiyan, but what could he do? Had he lost his mind? He was clearly no match for Cell!  
After a short while, Vegeta found himself on the ground once again, virtually dominated. Cell had regained control of the fight. Once again, the Saiyan had to rely on Piccolo, who violently sent an elbow to Cell's face, taking advantage of the kinetic effect of speed, allowing Vegeta a chance to breathe.  
A quick look between the Namek and the Saiyan Prince was enough, they knew they would have to fight together...before the two warriors, Cell stood up with no difficulty.  
"Shin Kikoho!" Tenshinhan cried, above Cell as he launched his attack...but Cell had already moved to avoid it. Vegeta and Piccolo noticed this and proceeded to attacked Cell together. In just a few seconds, Cell got rid of the Saiyan and amused himself with the green warrior. Tenshinhan flew just above them once more...Piccolo knew...he had to hold Cell!  
Tenshinhan was on the verge of losing consciousness as he focused his energy into a new Kikoho...The two warriors fighting relentlessly moved as well! Cell knew the man above him, he would not allow himself to get hit by that attack as he had done before!  
Piccolo was on the ground, spitting up blood as Cell stared at Tenshinhan, who thought his heart could stop beating at any second. Then, something unexpected happened: Vegeta grabbed Cell from behind, shouting to Tenshinhan, "Do it!"  
Had it been a desperate move on his part, or...? Either way, the Earthling did not hesitate to launch his attack.  
Vegeta did his best to hold onto him, but Cell was still able to overpower him, freeing himself from the grip of the Saiyan and striking him for even daring to hold him. In a split second, he put two fingers to his forehead and teleported near Tenshinhan, easily avoiding the Kikoho which Vegeta was barely able to avoid himself.  
As the explosion sounded, raising a giant cloud of dust, Cell looked into the earthling's eyes, inspiring a great fear.  
"You'll never get me that way, you miserable fool..." he said with a smile as he grabbed his arm and turned to throw him towards Kulilin, who had begun to fly to help his friend, but he couldn't catch him, the speed was too great. After crashing into Kulilin, the two fell on Yamcha, who tried to break their fall."Enough playing around." Cell exclaimed, more for himself than the others.  
"Makankousappo!"  
Cell again put two fingers to his forehead to teleport and avoid Namek's attack, reappearing behind Vegeta. Placing one hand on the Saiyan's back, he fired a ki attack, piercing him before he even had the chance to turn around. Spewing blood, his hair became black once again as he fell to the ground, dead. Piccolo and the three humans struggling to stand trembled.

Cell unleashed his energy, surrounding himself in a golden aura with blue flashes around his body, challenging the survivors:  
"Who's next?"  
As Kulilin positioned himself to execute an attack from several angles with Tenshinhan and Yamcha, Cell moved quickly...appearing behind Piccolo, who had no time to react. With fast and precise sweeping motions of his hand, he cut the Namek into several pieces, slicing his arms and torso.  
"How horrible!" Yamcha managed to say as he trembled all over.  
"He knows no mercy. He will finish us all off one by one!" Tenshinhan said as he thought of Chaozu... He knew he would never see him again...He was exhausted after launching so many Shin Kikoho...he knew if Cell attacked, it would be the end…  
"Farewell, Piccolo!" he said with his hands out, fingers spread, ready to launch another attack.  
He had not considered that Kulilin would intervene. He was enraged, but his mind was clear as he quickly prepared a Kienzan, launching it with all his might at Cell...but he stopped the attack, with what seemed to be an invisible shield around him. He had used his ki to make a blast powerful enough to stop the attack...  
While the Kienzan levitated in front Cell whirling, he increased the power that had repelled it, and sent it back to Kulilin saying,  
"You forgot something!"  
With impressive speed, the little bald earthling managed to narrowly avoid his own attack. The disc had missed by just a few millimeters. Cell was surprised, but continued to follow the path of Kienzan. He increased its speed as it headed toward Yamcha and Tenshinhan. It was headed for Tenshinhan, who was unable to dodge it as Kulilin did due to his fatigue... It cut him cleanly through the torso diagonally.  
Horrified that his own attack had been used against one of his best friends, Kulilin trembled all over.  
"Ten ... Tenshinhan!"  
Parts of the earthling's body fell to the ground. Yamcha, who had been standing next to him, couldn't believe what he had just seen. He rushed Cell, overcome with a rage unlike any he had ever felt before.  
"You monster!" Yamcha shouted with rage.  
He used his fastest melee attack, the technique of the wolf. Cell allowed the attacks to hit him without moving an inch, just as he had when Satan attacked him prior to his fight with Goku. Kulilin came and joined in as well, but none of their attacks made Cell even flinch. Once he had had enough, he made a slight movement of his wings so fast that it created a shock wave. Kulilin was blown away, but Yamcha stood firm, focusing his energy, he exclaimed,  
"Take this! Sokidan!"  
Yamcha controlled the sphere of energy he created, with the movements of his arms and hands. Along with the Kamehameha, this was his best technique.  
The sphere hit Cell hard, exploding on impact. Yamcha was exhausted; he knew he wouldn't win this fight. His rage slowly faded, and the realization of his defeat took over...but not for long.

Cell appeared behind Yamcha, who could barely move. He raised his arm, ready to attack. The perfect warrior easily broke the poor earthling, with the blows that followed. With his clothes torn and his bones broken, he finally collapsed, lifeless.  
The only one left standing now was Kulilin. As Vegeta had done before him, he launched a barrage of balls of energy at his enemy desperately trying to push on as long as he could, but of course, it was ineffective. Cell arose from the dust and faced Kulilin, grabbed him by the neck. He flew upward with incredible speed taking Kulilin with him. They quickly found themselves in space. Cell was also made up of Frieza’s cells, Frieza who could survive in outer space, and he knew that this was not the case for humans.Kulilin's death was quick, but horrible. He soon realized he could no longer breathe; the very low air pressure in space caused his blood to boil, while the ambient vacuum froze his body as this same pressure caused his organs to cave in. As blood spewed from his mouth, Kulilin passed away...his eyes still fixed on the blue planet that he had lived on.  
Cell put two fingers to his forehead once again, performing this technique that had certainly proven to be very helpful.  
"It was fun..." he said, now alone, as Kulilin's body floated in orbit. "I still have one thing left to do here... next I'll massacre the entire Earth!"  
He teleported once again, reappearing in the center of the capital. The people there immediately recognized him as the monster that had threatened to destroy the Earth on TV just a few days ago. Despite the interruption of the broadcast during the tournament, they had hoped that their hero, Satan had defeated the monster, but they had seen the horrible creature as he emerged. They cried out in fear. They were all doomed; no one was left who could possibly save them now.  
Cell gazed for a moment at these insects that were so desperately trying to flee, but it was futile...it didn't matter where they ran.  
"I won't have all the fun to myself..." Cell said, as an idea came to him.  
As he had done during the Cell Game in order to anger Gohan, Cell gave birth to several Cell Juniors.  
And so the Earth became nothing more than a playground for Cell and his children...and this planet was only the first on a long list...Cell walked off to rejoin his space in the Universe 17 balcony. Since Dabra would not be able to make it back to his universe, two Namekians were sent to carry him. He was obviously unconscious and bleeding profusely from the gaping hole in the middle of his chest, yet still alive to the amazement of the Namekians. They rushed him over to the universe 11 balcony and laid him at the feet of Babidi and Majin Buu.  
“Don’t worry,” said one of the Namekians, “we will treat you now”.  
“Not so fast!” cried Babidi before the Namekians could begin their healing. “I have not yet decided if I want him to be cured!”  
“But… He’s dying!” gasped the Namekian, astonished at Babidi’s refusal of treatment.  
“This is his punishment for losing,” continued the sorcerer, “we don’t want your healing, we will deal with this situation ourselves. Now if you would leave us…”.  
The Namekians looked at him incredulously, unsure at first if they should do as they were told, but finally, reluctantly, turned and left the balcony.  
“So… be it…” sighed Dabra.  
“I wonder how long you’ll survive without treatment!” squealed Babidi with a sadistic grin on his face. He was thrilled over the little game he had found to make him forget the humiliating defeat of his subordinate.  
While Universes 16 and 18 were animatedly discussing the power levels of the previous fighters, the MC came on over the loud speakers:  
“What an amazing fight! Next up is Pan of universe 16 fighting against Bojack from  
universe 6!”  
“Cool, it’s my turn!” thought Pan, excited that she would finally get a chance to fight.  
She looked over and saw her Universe 18 counterpart who was experiencing a mixture of happiness for her and jealousy because she wanted to participate so badly!  
“Good luck!” yelled the Pan from Universe 18 with a smile on her face.  
“Thank you! I’ll see you after I win!” Universe 16 Pan shouted back with the same smile.  
After receiving encouragement from her Universe 18 counterpart, this Pan passed by her mother who kissed her before she headed out to the ring. She had one foot up on the low balcony wall when her father stopped her:  
"Pan?"  
"Yes father?"  
Her father picked her up by her shoulders so she was at eye level and said:  
“My darling, I know Bojack. He’s incredibly mean, and much stronger than you are”.  
“I won’t forfeit!” cried the girl.  
She knew who Bojack was of course, her father had told the stories of him many times… but she refused to give up without a fight, to do so would be such a shame! She was certain that her counterpart from universe 18 would feel the same way.“I’m not asking you to,” replied Gohan, “just… be very careful”.  
“I will, don’t worry!” she said more calmly, smiling at her father.  
With that she finally took off toward the arena, ready for her fight. When she landed, Bojack was already standing there, arms crossed.  
“Dad…” said Universe 18 Pan to her father, “do you think she has a chance of winning?”  
Gohan did not answer immediately. Goku, who was standing with them, turned and met the gaze of his granddaughter. He didn't smile, but he didn't look defeated either.  
“I don’t know Pan.” Gohan finally answered. “It depends how much training your counterpart may have done… She may be on his level…”  
“But… what about me?”  
Gohan knew what she was asking. After a few more seconds he turned and faced his daughter:  
“No, you’re not strong enough to beat Bojack.”  
Suddenly, Pan felt her legs start to tremble. What would happen to her? She crossed her fingers and silently hoped that she would one day be as strong as her Universe 16 counterpart, that would mean she had a fighting chance.  
“The fighters are ready! The fight can begin!” shouted the announcer.  
"It will end quickly.” Said the space pirate quietly. He knew he would be victorious in less than a minute.Pan attacked immediately. She quickly dashed in front of her opponent and struck him violently in the belly… but it had no effect! It felt as if she had punched a piece of metal, he felt unbreakable, and his abs absorbed the shock of the blow without so much as a flinch. The granddaughter of Vegetto retreated quickly, but Bojack pursued her instantly with a shout.  
Pan clearly saw the punch coming, and was able to dodge it as she leapt into the sky. The pirate's fist crashed into the ring causing an earthquake that disfigured the small gray sphere. His raw power took the small girl by surprise.  
“Father was right, he’s very strong. I have to push it right from the start.”  
“You’re small, and fast” complimented Bojack as he looked up at Pan.  
In response the girl clenched her fists as she focused her strength. Gritting her teeth she let the power consume her. Her hair stood on end, slowly taking on a golden color. Her ki multiplied rapidly as a bright light enveloped her. Her eyes turned from a deep black to a vibrant blue-green. As her muscles expanded well beyond normal proportions she finished her transformation with a cry.

The fighters and spectators from Universe 18 were clearly impressed. Uub instantly wondered if the Pan from his universe was hiding the same power, while Pan, who can definitely not transform yet wondered to herself how her counterpart had done it. Goku, who had been smiling throughout the entire transformation knew that his own Pan was not far away from the same transformation, she just has to be pushed a bit farther.  
Pan from 18 was clearly the most awestruck of the group. She could barely move because she was so stunned. Her counterpart was so obviously stronger than her… a super saiyan! She had often dreamed of what it would be like to transform, but to see her counterpart do it for real… She looked down at her hands. She realized then that her grandfather was right, this power laid dormant inside her as well! She didn’t need kaioken, she would transform one day… and surprise everybody!  
Bojack was also surprised. He knew this transformation… he had seen it before somewhere… but where? He couldn’t remember, but he could sense that the girl’s power had definitely risen.  
Above his head floated the Universe 16 Pan. She remembered her first time transforming into a super saiyan, how could she forget? The excitement of that instant was unparalleled. She didn’t have time for pleasant memories though, her opponent was strong, she had to focus!  
“Here we go!” cried Pan as she streaked towards her opponent with new-found speed.  
She threw a punch, which Bojack managed to parry with his right forearm. He was again surprised by the speed of his opponent, since she had become much quicker since obtaining that golden aura. Pan continued her assault, throwing punches and kicks at Bojack’s face and body. Her small size was an advantage, one that she knew very well how to use against her bigger, bulkier opponent. She was able to dodge his counter-attacks, to the point where it looked almost easy.  
Pan managed to connect with small blows once in a while, especially after parrying one of Bojack’s blows. She blocked her opponent's punch with one leg, quickly lashing out with her other foot and connecting with Bojack’s face.  
Despite her flexibility and responsiveness, Pan’s blows simply didn’t have enough power behind them to do much damage. Although Bojack barely felt her attacks, he was becoming increasingly annoyed by them. She was like a mosquito that he simply couldn't swat.  
In the Universe 16 balcony, Gohan was starting to worry. He had faith in his daughter, but he was also intelligent enough to realize that her blows were having very little effect. Pan was strong, especially for her age, but she was simply not in the powerhouse league of Bojack. He hoped that Pan would be able to wear him down…  
Bojack tried throwing another punch at his opponent's annoyingly small head, only to have it met by Pan’s forearm. This time though, Pan threw a bit more force into her counter attack, landing a violent blow on the pirate’s cheek. The force of the blow caused him to stumble backwards a bit. He winced slightly as he stared down the teenager, who noticed that even the force of this attack did very little damage. At this rate it would take hours to beat him… she would be exhausted by then!  
She knew she has to speed up the fight. She had one very effective technique at her disposal, but was it the right time? She decided it is the only way, so she laid her trap. She waited for Bojack to throw a punch. Using his over-extended arm she flipped over his head, facing his back while suspended upside down in mid air.  
"Kamehame... Ha!"  
She unleashed her full-powered kamehameha wave point blank into Bojack’s unguarded back. The closeness of the attack increased the effectiveness dramatically. A great example of this was during the cell games 27 years ago. Goku charged his kamehameha to full power before transporting himself behind cell, completely blowing off his upper half! In contrast the same technique had been useless against Broly… How effective would it be against Bojack?  
As Bojack was struck by the blue attack there was a huge explosion, followed by Bojack’s plummet to the ground. Still levitating, Pan slowly reoriented herself to the ring. After the taxing kamehameha wave it took her a bit to catch her breath. Beads of sweat dripped down her tiny forehead.  
In Universes 16 and 18, both Videls continued to shout encouragement to their daughter. Both Gohans, on the other hand, were gritting their teeth. It would be very surprising for Bojack not to survive this attack and they both know it. They resisted to urge to shout to Pan, to tell her to stop the fight. Somehow, it subconsciously reminded them of Videl’s fight with Spopovich twenty years ago. Had Pan inherited Videl’s legendary stubbornness? That remained to be seen…  
For now, Bojack remained on the ground, motionless, covered in dust and scratches. It was impossible to know if he was knocked out or if he was simply pretending. Pan, who was quite pleased with the power of her last attack, landed softly; not far from him. Her mother was ecstatic and cheering from the Universe 16 balcony:  
"Bravo Pan! You won!"  
“No…” said Gohan quietly. “The real fight is just getting started”.  
Videl started to panic. “What is he saying?” she wondered. She turned to look at her husband; on his face was nothing but fear.  
“Gohan! What is it… you’re scaring me!”  
After a few seconds he answered:  
“Bojack has not yet shown his full strength. There is not much more she can do… if he transforms… it’s over. She should give up now!”  
Videl, more panicked than ever, turned back to the ring. She had encouraged Pan up to this point, but now she just wanted her daughter to give up and come back to her safely.  
In the ring, Bojack had started to move again. He slammed his fist hard into the ground. He grabbed a piece of broken ring and shattered it in a fit of rage. He slowly started to get up. Once he had gotten to his knees he stared at the girl. His eyes were hard. He was clearly angry, and in his eyes Pan saw what can only be described as a sudden urge to kill… and she was the target!  
In the Universe 6 balcony Zangya and Bujin, Bojack’s acolytes, stood there laughing, while Kat and her gang stood not far off watching them. They were finally starting to fear for the little one. She was just a child, and seeing Bojack’s cronies laughing like they were did not bode well.  
“This little one will experience the fury of Bojack!” cried Zangya with Machiavellian glee.  
"The poor little girl, I would not want to be in her place!” added Bujin with a smile.  
“What a stupid idea to include such a young girl. They will soon regret that decision.”

“It’s really a good thing, their entire group will be demoralized, making them easier to defeat! All of universe 16 will suffer from the loss, ha ha ha!”  
In the middle of the ring, Bojack seemsed to explode. As he stood there shouting, his strength started to skyrocket. His skin turned from blue to green, and his muscle mass increased significantly, so much so that his jacket was reduced to only so much tattered cloth and it was ripped to shreds by his hulking frame. A huge green aura enveloped his body, and the wind from his energy sent Pan flying. The tiny planet that served as the arena began to shake before suddenly shattering into three different pieces!  
Pan quickly regained her footing on one of the large chunks of ring, then stood there starting to tremble. “His power has increased!” she thought. “It’s huge! Even the kamehameha wave was unable to damage him… what should I do father?”  
As she wondered this, Bojack suddenly left his feet, dashing full speed straight at the confused and frightened girl…Ba-dum ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dum, ba-dum ba-dum. Pan's heart rate was accelerating rapidly and beating loudly. Bojack was bearing down on her and she felt completely outmatched, nothing she did worked! The fear she felt caused her to panic, so much so that she was unable to dodge her gree attacker's powerful punch to her belly. Pan flew at full speed toward the stands, unable to move or catch her breath.  
She struck the Vargas' energy shield that was protecting the public. The shock of the impact gave her some idea of where she was, and gradually she was able to regain her breathing. Holding her stomach, she remained suspended, away from the ring, and specifically away from Bojack.  
What a blow! She was almost knocked in in a single shot... he was so powerful, and so fast! She had to come up with a solution fast!  
Suddenly a strange noise was heard from the ring, which now consisted of each piece revolving around the others according to physical laws governed by the amazing Vargas' technology. Bojack was still not finished demonstrating his power... he had a big smile on his face, revealing his large white teeth.  
Pan managed to avoid the next enormous punch thrown by her opponent by dropping a few meters below it. His attack struck the shield, which vibrated violently for a few seconds, causing the spectators to shake from the impact. Some spectators were fleeing the arena after getting an up close look at the Universe 6 fighter.  
Pan dashed away from her opponent, she still had a hand holding her stomach, causing her to move more slowly that she wanted to. She headed toward the smashed ring, where she hoped to use the ring and her agility to her advantage. Bojack followed in hot pursuit.  
The small girl turned and threw a small ball of energy that hit her target right in the head, stopping him dead in his tracks. The surprise attack gave the girl the time to hide behind a piece of the ring. She quickly let her aura disperse, lowering her power in hopes that he would not be able to detect her.  
The smoke that was encompassing Bojack's head dissipated to reveal his face, completely injury free. He was a bit dusty, but still smiling. Then he started laughing. The whole stadium could hear his big, crazy laugh. He was so certain of his victory. He stopped suddenly, his smile fading momentarily. In his right hand appeared a small ball of energy. With a shrill whistle he hurled it at the ring. The explosion destroyed another piece of the small planet, and caused Bojack to start laughing anew.  
The granddaughter of Vegetto took advantage of this moment to hide behind a piece of the ring. While she hid she gathered her strength and thanked her lucky stars that she wasn't hit by her opponent's long ranged blast.  
"Show yourself!" yelled the pirate before rushing into the pile of debris that was left of the ring.  
Pan changed her positioning but soon found herself face to face with the a murderous, sadistic looking Bojack. Letting out a small squeak of surprise, she panicked and launch one of her less effective attacks. It didn't compare to the kamehameha, but was useful at times. Quickly she placed her hands against her forehead, shouted the name of the technique, and launched the attack at Bojack:

"Masenko!"  
It was an attack she had inherited from her father, who had learned it from Piccolo when he was just five years old. This technique had diminished power but rewarded the user with a short charge up time. Using the explosion as a distraction, she quickly flew up and stood on the largest piece of the ring.  
Back emerged from the attack completely unscathed and quickly set down on the opposite side of the same piece. The he slowly started walking towards the girl, who again began to panic. She could clearly hear her opponents slow but sure footsteps. It seemed like nothing she could do would stop him.  
But she must do something! Putting aside her growing fear, she got into position:  
"Kame..."  
Bojack continued to advance, he was just twenty meters away now."Hame..."  
The pirate smiled and stopped after taking a few more steps, examining his opponent's attack: a bright blue light was eminating from between the girl's hands.  
"Ha!"  
Reaching towards Bojack, Pan unleashed the full power of her Kamehameha wave. The sudden attack was both powerful and fast at the same time, quickly spanning the fifteen meter gap between herself and the green humanoid. The latter, smiling as always, waited patiently for the kid's strongest technique: reaching out a single hand, he stopped the kamehameha! Then, with a quick upward movement of his arm, he forced the attack to deviate from it's path. The blast harmlessly crashed into the shield behind him.

Pan knelt on the ground, trembling, sweating, her breathing shallow. Her heart was pounding. Opposite her, Bojack was still laughing. He felt a slight sting in his hand but that was it. He was simply amused by the child.What could she do? Pan was distraught, even her best technique had been ridiculed... she thought of her father, Gohan. What would he say if she lost? Surely it would be nothing, he would just be happy she was safe and sound. Vegetto? He would be disappointed, but he would understand. What about her counterpart in Universe 18? They have the same character so she would also be disappointed, but she would realize how strong he was. But Bra? Bra would certainly make fun of her! She was always boasting around her, she would remind her of her defeat for years to come! No! She couldn't let that happen! She must persevere by any means!  
Pan stood up, a new look on her face: she looked determined, strong, unbreakable. She clenched her fists and her golden aura reappeared. Her strength seemed even higher than before, although only slightly. In any case, she would use all her power to win!  
With a shout she lunged at Bojack, who was still smiling. She threw a punch at him, which Bojack blocked with his arm. She threw a second punch, which was again parried. She picked up the pace launching kicks and punches but all we blocked. Worse than this: Bojack was not even fazed by the attack. He didn't even move, just stood there blocking attacks. He was an indestructible wall that Pan could simply not break through. Sore legs and hands were the only things she had to show for her efforts.  
She redoubled her efforts, striking at him constantly, again and again. She was losing speed and strength though, becoming more and more exhausted. Suddenly, Bojack caught her in his arms. He started to squeeze and shake her, hard. Pan screamed in pain, to the horror of her mother. She endured the pain for several long seconds.  
"It's time to give up little one" said the attacker, finally dropping her at his feet.  
Give up... suddenly the words sounded sweet in Pan's ears. Give up... it would be so simple, so easy... and the pain would go away. She would return to Universe 16 where she would be comforted by her parents, and protected by her grandfather...  
Protected by her grandfather... always... always?  
Bojack laughed, but was suddenly stopped dead: the girl at his feet, almost inert, suddenly sprang back to life. Her golden aura reappeared. Without giving him a chance to more she violently turned herself, kicking the ankle of her opponent. The blow made him lose his equilibrium, and for a second he found himself floating horizontally. Pan jumped with all of her strength, headbutting him right in the belly. She continued the attack with a surprise knee to his belly, then an uppercut. She hurried away and clenched her fist, the intensity of her aura increasing.  
Bojack flew a few meters into the air and stopped. Tired after taking a few shots, he remained levitating, looking at the girl below. Now she was starting to do well, he must kill her quickly. He saw the girl was planning a new attack. He waited a little bit, just to see.  
Pan calmly focused her energy, then conjured a ball of energy in the palm of each hand that glowed yellow. Seconds later she threw them at Bojack. He easily deflected them. Pan tried again.. then again... the same attack, faster and faster each time. Bojack deflected it every time, then he noticed that some of the beams were missing him. So while continuing to deflect blows, he said to his opponent:  
"Are you blind, or just so tired you can;t aim?"  
He laughs again seeing that her direct attacks have ceased. Finally he stopped laughing, and understood: all of the attacks that he had deflected, and every one that passed by him... it was all calculated! Now Bojack found himself surrounded by hundreds of yellow energy spheres.  
"Son of a bitch! I'll crush you!"  
Pan permitted herself a smile. Then, as Piccolo had quire recently taught her, controlled the energy balls with her arms, quickly bringing them to bear on his chest. The first wave contacted Bojack. The explosion was huge. Pan repeated this twice, and each time some fifty balls instantly launched and the green pirate before exploding.In the Universe 16 balcony, Vegetto glanced at Piccolo, smiling. He was delighted that he had taught Pan his technique. But she had improved it even more! It was impressive.  
Pan from Universe 18 was even more impressed. She knew the masenko, but this new technique that her counterpart used, she had never seen it before. She hoped it was enough to finish off Bojack.  
Pan, back in the ring, fell to her knees. Huge drops of sweat fell from her nose to the ground. She was completely exhausted, but it was worth it. Now, Bojack was surely... alive and without any serious damage?  
"Impossible!" she thought when she saw her opponent in the air, uninjured even after this devastating attack... Pan smiled, not out of pleasure, but at herself, at her weakness. It was clearly over now. She knew it. Everyone knew it. So why sit there and be humiliated any longer?  
Her father was right, she should have been more cautious. This guy was really powerful. How could she defeat him now? She was so young...  
What weakness... what shame...  
Pan stood up. Her legs trembled slightly under her weight, even though she did not weigh much. She closed her eyes for a moment, a smile on her face. Ah, if only she had met someone from Universe 10 like her counterpart! Now it was too late.  
"Now... its time to give up..." Pan thought finally as she started to raise her right arm.  
That's when Bojack suddenly landed in front of her! Pan stopped short, the smile faded from her face and her eyes open wide. He was so big she couldn't even see all of Bojack at the same time!  
"You little brat..."  
He quickly grabbed her by the neck. A strange noise coming from her throat, Pan immediate realized her inability to breathe and her blood went cold. Laughing heartily, Bojack lifted her with his arm outstretched.  
Pan tried to free herself from his grop. She struck the edge of her hand repeatedly on Bojack's wrist... without success. She gradually weakened, tears streaming down her face. Her tongue, surrounded by drool, seemed to be searching for the last breath of air... her hair again became black. She sank into unconsciousness...  
Meanwhile in the Universe 16 balcony Vegetto and Gohan stood their ground wanting more than anything to intervene, and Bra was trying to encourage the crying Videl next to her. The Videl and Pan from Universe 18 were also in tears, holding hands with each other.  
Taking one last stand, with her last ounce of courage and strength, Pan tightened her fists. Her hair turned back to gold, and her aura reappeared after a few seconds. In a short span of time she bludgeoned a few kicks and punches onto the muscular arm of Bojack. In the Universe 16 balcony, Bra and Videl suddenly had hope that this would work.  
Suddenly, time seemed to stop, along with the laughter of Bojack. He ended the young teenager before she ever had a chance to give up. A crack sounded in the arena. Her hair turned black, and from the labored breathing and the terrible pain in her neck... she was delivered... it was all over: Bojack had squeezed hard enough to break the neck of Pan. Not content with just killing her; he tossed her away, like a discarded rag. The frail and lifeless body of the young girl fell...  
The second death of the tournament involved a teenager...  
Pan fell, immobile. Bojack victoriously stood in the ring for a moment to witness the girl's descent.  
At the same instant, the announcer shouted into his microphone," Pan has died, making Bojack from Universe 6 the winner!"  
A dryness echoed in the words of the announcer. Not even the death of a child had an influence on the tone of these announcements! In a tournament where killing was permitted, it could only be expected...And it was true that her death would only be temporary...But still...  
"Pan!" cried her mother, flying towards her, weeping and stretching out her arms to catch her daughter.  
But it was Son Gohan who suddenly appeared behind Pan to catch her. He appeared so quickly behind her, his arms already in the correct position that he seemed to have teleported. He bowed his head down, descended slowly to touch to the ground, and followed Videl, distraught.  
A ghastly smile was perceptible on the face of the muscled, rough, green-skinned man. "Was that it? Too bad I had to show my real strength in the first round...Anyway my next opponent is this Cell..." he thought, glancing toward his opponent from Universe 17.  
Vegetto and Son Goku gathered around Universe 16's wing. The Videls from Universes 16 and 18 were shocked. They collapsed to their knees, crying, when Bojack had broken their beloved teenage daughter's neck....The Son Gohans had clenched their fists and teeth...And when Bojack literally threw their daughter, Universe 16's Gohan had gone to catch her, much quicker than his wife.  
Now, a fundamental difference existed between the two Universes...  
In Universe 18, Videl quickly surrounded her daughter in her arms for comfort. Pan had just lost a friend, and it was even worse to see herself die...She stood in tears, trembling, as she benefited from her father's presence to reassure her. Gohan looked at his counterpart in Universe 16. He had just lost his own daughter and the only thing he could cling on to was her resurrection at the hands of the Vargas at the end of the tournament. But...could he maintain his anger? Even in Universe 18, Gohan was calm, but inwardly he fumed. This Pan was really close to his daughter. If he, himself, was at his breaking point, what about his counterpart in Universe 16?  
As Gohan walked slowly towards his wing in Universe 16,  
Several discussions spawned everywhere. In the audience, it was about the ruthless Bojack, the second person to kill someone in the tournament, or even the fact that an age limit did not exist...In the 13th Universe, that of the 'Super Saiyans,' Kakarotto amusedly said, more to himself than to his companions, "Those fools. That's what they get for letting that brat enter, hehe."  
"They're going to be more than sorry," said Raditz beside him. "In a few seconds, they'll all be eliminated."  
"Huh? Why?" Nappa wondered aloud, as he approached the brother, Kakarotto.  
"Because it's forbidden to fight outside of the matches..." Raditz said, "And this group does not have a nervous Vegeta like us to stop simpletons."  
"Hey," said Kakarotto, very embarrassed that his attitude had been distorted by the Pheromone Attack. "I was..."  
No sooner had he started his sentence was he interrupted by a strong power that seemed to suddenly appear in Universe 16. Even though Gohan was burning inside, his face only expressed his disgust...He was not the one who was giving off this new power...  
"You're gonna die, Bojack!!" shouted Bra, transforming instantly into a Super Saiyan, like Pan did several minutes earlier.  
Many people were surprised by the girl's sudden transformation. In Universe 17's wing, Cell, after being surprised by Pan, was once again shocked. And this girl seemed no weaker than Pan...  
In Universe 18, everyone was astonished. The first to be bewildered by the girl's power was none other than her own counterpart. Vegeta looked at her for a moment, and it became evident that this was not a secret that she had been hiding... Vegeta did not admit it, but it pleased him to know that she had the capability to become a Super Saiyan. Pan was also astonished...First her counterpart, now Bra...it didn't help her regain confidence in her strength. If even Bra could transform, in one Universe or another, she was definitely stronger...What could she do?  
Beside Son Goku, whose face was smiling with surprise, Uub was almost amazed. A Super Saiyan Bra, who was actually training... What class! What strength! What poise! However, as Uub kept his eyes fixed on her, from head to foot, she suddenly seemed full of rage and readied herself to fly.  
"No, Bra! Not outside of a match!" Piccolo yelled, holding out his arm, but unable to reach her. Indeed, Bra was already preparing to rush headfirst at Bojack, who was just beginning to enter his Universe's wing.  
She was finally stopped by her father, Vegetto, who grabbed her shoulders.  
"Piccolo's right. We'd be sent back to our world and Pan wouldn't be brought back to life at the end of the tournament."  
Bra continued to scream inwardly in anger. She turned to the stare of her father, who saw that she was less controlled. It would be bad if she got too angry right now... Vegetto continued to talk to calm her down.  
"Look, even your brother, despite his legendary rage is backing down. So don't go into your usual tantrum..."It was true that Gohan, as an adult, was always calm and cheerful... However, he was also seen to explode in power through well-justified rage. Some might even say that it was the source of his strength. Some Cells in certain universes could confirm that...some Bojacks in certain universes, as well! Similarly to Gohan, Bra often burst in a fiery temper...and that meant Vegetto would have to talk her out of it. Uub heard these words and winced. The Bra from his universe was a capricious girl and far from simple. But she had never thrown such a powerful temper like this...  
The moment Vegetto finished speaking, Gohan reached a low wall that separated the Universes. Rather than jumping over it, he continued walking and stepped right through it...as if it was nothing...as if the wall didn't even exist. The barrier exploded under the force of a power yet unseen, an aura filled with anger.  
"Here, Gohan," said Piccolo, keeping calm as usual, conjuring in his hands a hollow object, about the same size as Pan.  
"Thanks, Piccolo-san," replied his former student by placing his daughter inside the container.  
After staying at her side for a moment with his wife, Gohan's vigil was suddenly interrupted behind him by Bra.  
"Big brother! Bojack must die! I will..."  
"You're not doing anything, Bra! Bojack played by the rules. We're not allowed to attack him."  
"So you won't even lay a hand on him? Don't you want payback for your daughter?" Bra continued angrily.  
Son Gohan trembled a lot. Bra was not helping him calm down at all. He took off his glasses. His eyes sought his wife, whose presence comforted him already...but it wasn't enough. Giving her his glasses, he turned, shook his fist, and allowed some of his anger to explode with his ki. A violent white aura surrounded him.

After the surprise of Bra's strength that far surpassed that of Pan, perhaps even that of Bojack, the spectators and combatants of the 19 other universes were amazed by the power that emanated from Gohan.  
In Universe 19, which represented the universe filled with "nano-warriors," a nickname they obtained from the large number of people who did not know them, one of the combatants measured the energy that seemed to emit from the half-Saiyan and spread throughout the stadium with a Force Sensor.  
"Is the asteroid shaking?" asked one of the armored warriors.  
"My sensor's detecting a huge flow of energy!" his panicked friend replied as he analyzed each fighter.  
In Universe 4, the only fighter present folded his arms and smiled.  
"Ah, I see that Son Gohan hasn't lost a single bit of his power! How interesting!"  
In Universe 17, Cell was even more surprised. Is this how strong Son Gohan was as an adult? What strength! At the time, he had been so impressed by Gohan's power level back when he had to commit suicide. But this...this was something entirely different!  
As for the Namek in Universe 7, who seemed to be sleeping since Universe 18 arrived...he opened his eyes for the first time, intrigued by this power."Bra!" said Gohan, placing himself in front of her with his fists clenched. "If you want to let off steam, hit me. But don't put our participation in danger...and Pan's resurrection with it!" he cried at last when his power increased as a result of his anger. His rage shook the entire asteroid. Small pieces of the ring that had fallen into Universe 16's wing were flying around Bra and Gohan as a result of his raging white aura. Even Bra slightly trembled against the unusual expression on Gohan's face.  
Bra stopped straight in her tracks at the sound of her brother's idea of vengeance for Pan. She loved Gohan and Videl's daughter...She was her niece...She wanted revenge, but at the same time she couldn't go against her brother. He was right...  
"Ok..." she said at last after calming down and turning her head towards the ground.  
Gohan remained angry enough to maintain his aura for three long minutes. Vegetto knew that his son would not let it go, that he would resist the urge to kill Bojack again. However, he maintained close supervision, just in case.  
As the tension gradually faded, in Universe 18's wing a little girl was frightened. She, too, had seen the expression on her Universe 16 father's face...and she was afraid. She could never do something that would make her father, the real one from universe 18, have a face like that...  
Other than that, her fighting spirit had also disappeared. Her joy in participating in this tournament? Gone... Did she believe herself to be...immortal? Perhaps... Was it the presence of her father and grandfather, Vegeta and Uub, Trunks and Goten (who could fuse into Gotenks and get even stronger) that had comforted her for so long? Had she allowed herself to believe that nothing could happen to her? That if anything happened to her, they would save her, the way Kat was saved by Universe 13's Vegeta who stopped Kakarotto?  
Could she die, as well?  
"Dad, I think I'll stop here," she cried softly, "I don't wanna die too!"  
The girl relinquished the embrace of her mother and stared at her father. Videl stood up, one hand on her moth, still quite shocked by the death of Pan. Her real daughter continued to speak to her husband.

"Plus, she lost and...she was a lot stronger than me..I'm far from this level of fighting."  
Son Gohan regarded his daughter. She was not wrong. And deep inside, part of him wanted her to give up, to play it safe. But in fact... Rather, they should be encouraging her, reassuring her.  
"Pan, you could be as strong as her if you wanted to... You two are identical. You'll transform in no time."  
Bra took advantage of this remark to speak a bit. She thought it would be best to divert the topic, not to stay on Pan's death. It wasn't really a bad idea.  
"That other Bra, on the other hand, isn't identical to me. We don't have the same father...and I could never be a Super Saiyan..."  
"You probably could if you trained more!" Vegeta said very seriously, trying for the umpteenth time to convince Bra to train.  
"Not interested. Did you see that hairstyle? And I don't want to become all muscles and no brains like you and Goku."  
"What did you just say?" cried the Prince of Saiyans, galled at this remark. Did his daughter seriously take him for a brainless idiot for so long?  
Son Goku himself was somewhat amused. In fact, he wasn't going to try to prove her otherwise. He had learned a long time ago to ignore these kinds of things...  
Son Gohan continued to speak to his daughter.  
"You can forfeit at any time, and I won't let any enemy hurt you if the fight is over. You know, I'm sure to be much faster than Vegeta, if the time comes to. And besides, I know this isn't something to take lightly, but especially here, one death won't last that long. It's weird, I know, but think of it that way," he continued to say to his daughter.

In Universe 11, Babidi was getting impatient. After the defeat of his Dabura, he only remained to get his wish with Buu. Waiting for the second round would be long. And the organizers seemed to be taking their time to repair this ring...and these imbeciles were crying over a death...  
"What a bunch of wimps!" he said as if it would help him wait. "My Dabra is dead too and I'm not complaining about it!"At his feet, the demon slowly opened his eyes and managed to breathe, "I...I'm not dead, yet!"  
Buu, behind Babadi, was entranced by his master's words. Approaching, he asked with a huge smile, "If he's dead, can I eat him?"  
Exhausted and angry at being ignored, Dabra continued to defend himself, "I'm not dead, dammit! Argl! Keuff..."  
As the Demon king lost consciousness, the ring finally recomposed into one huge sphere. The announcer took the opportunity to announce the next match: Tapion versus Caracoru!  
"The next match was going to be Universe 10's Caracoru against Tapion of Universe 3”, the host announced, "but since Caracoru forfeited, Tapion's the winner”.

"Um, yeah. Remember that the entire Universe 10 had dropped out at the same time, thus creating a large number of forfeits because their matches had remained in the battle program's table". As soon as he finished, he was certain that there were more Nameks than Saiyans who had dropped out.  
Universe 3 had remained relatively empty since Goku and his friends had arrived, even though the tournament had already begun. Tapion was the first of his universe to fight. At the announcement of his name, he was quietly released from inside his wing. He was followed by someone smaller, who seemed to levitate, but he stopped right before the door where Tapion exited the room. This left the unrecognizable someone lurking in the shadows.  
Tapion himself had finally decided to stay outside. Now that he was seen, what was the point in hiding anymore? He was of medium height, had large pointed ears that stuck out, and had orange hair in a Mohawk style. He wore rather conventional clothes, but had a beautiful sword strapped to his back. He was a swordsman, like Universe 12's Trunks and Universe 11's Dabura.  
Tapion smiled. Clearly, he was happy not to have fought. Stopping right in the middle of Universe 3's space, he said, "That's fine by me. I just have to wait until the second round. My next opponent's going to be the winner of the next fight...I'll see what he's worth in this next fight...".  
"For the next match," the announcer continued, "we ask for Sauza from Universe 8 against Kulilin from Universe 9!"  
Upon hearing this news, Goku was very surprised.  
"Huh? Kulilin? I didn't see him!"  
He was very enthusiastic. Seeing his old friend participate, even if he was from another universe, would be so cool! He wasn't going to miss a single bit of that fight, and afterwards he was anxious to go and talk to him!In Universes 8 and 9, both participants were preparing themselves... Sauza, Kooler's henchman smiled. He was able to fight and win for his master. Lord Kooler would be so proud of him! But before that...he did a quick little dance with his two teammates, who did not participate with him, unlike almost the entire Ginyu Force. The dance he provided was almost as silly, useless, and even shameful! But who cares! Sauza had always done it, and so far he wasn't dead!  
When they had finished, mocking both of the jealous members of the Ginyu Squad, who were their rivals, three people came out of Universe 9's interior room on the right.  
The first was tall, brawny, and rather bald. He wore a fighting tunic, partly covered by a cloak that he wore on his shoulder. He seemed rather well preserved: a little wrinkly, but nevertheless, quite old. His name was Tenshinhan.  
Right behind him was someone roughly the same size. He wore an orange tunic that was familiar to many in the tournament: it was that of Muten Roshi! This fighter looked incredibly handsome. He looked strong, although his muscle mass seemed slightly less than his bald friend's. Unlike the latter, in fact, he had long dark brown hair that, in battle, fell down to his neck. This guy looked quite young, certainly about twenty years old. His name was Yamcha.  
As the two tall men stopped to look left and right, Yamcha glanced behind him into the doorway of the room. From the shadow of the area emerged a little man...backwards! He wore a huge shell on him and seemed to be bald. It seemed as if he couldn't see much behind him, probably because he tripped as soon as he started walking into the arena! He had only walked a few meters, moving childishly, in just as silly a fashion as the little dance that took place in Universe 8 at the time. As he arrived near the ring, donning an orange tunic, he turned at last, smiling.  
He was quite bald, with six orange-colored dots on his forehead between two white eyebrows. He wore a gray and white beard that merged with his gray and white mustache, and his eyes reflected a long life, filled with adventure! He looked kind of like a fusion of Kulilin and Master Roshi...but this was not the case. Kulilin had taken up the style of his former mentor.  
"Well, it's my turn!" he said with a wink, as if everyone could see it up close.  
It was time, now. Sauza outran Kulilin and flew to the ring. The little bald man, in turn, jumped before he could be disqualified...  
As Sauza the commando landed quietly, he heard a loud noise behind him. As he turned around, he saw the old man on the ground, sitting on his ass. He got up slowly, leaning on the cane he held in his right hand, muttering, "My shell weighs quite a lot on this ring...about as much as it did on the planet of Kaiou-sama...just a little more than that, I believe...”  
"An old geezer," Sauza sighed. "This match won't take long at all!"  
Kulilin finally got up and turned to his opponent, who had already insulted him. Wrinkling an eyebrow, he recognized the purple-clad man... But it had been so long ago...  
"I believe one of my friends killed you when I was young..." he told Sauza, recalling his youth. "And you haven't aged at all since that day! That's so unfair...I'm jealous."  
"Me? Killed? I don't care. This time it'll be I who kills you!  
"Hmm... Being confident is good, but not at this point, my friend."Sauza's smile faded and he rushed towards the 'old geezer'. With a strength and speed that certainly ranked in the top ten or even five in his universe, he was certain that the old bastard wouldn't be able to dodge it. Yet... that's exactly what Kulilin just did. He jumped effortlessly over his opponent, avoiding a punch, despite his one-ton heavy shell... No, the gravity was multiplied by ten, so it actually weighed 10 times as much!  
Sauza was able to track Kulilin's movements without much difficulty.  
"Tsss, behind you!" he said, as if to mock the 'slowness' of the old fart...even though he had dodged that last attack.  
Preparing an attack with the edge of his hand, flying through the air, he struck with all his might... But instead of Kulilin, the old master had turned, allowing Sauza to hit his gray shell. Usually when hit at that strength, most objects would shatter. Usually it wouldn't be so bad!  
The shell had resisted the slash attack and his hand was nearly reduced to a pulp. Sauza screamed, trying to hold back a small tear in his eye. It was a rather humiliating injury.  
Kulilin raised his finger like a professor who was giving advice. Closing his eyes, he said, "Now now, my friend... You shouldn't hit Katchin metal. It can really hurt a lot..."  
Several people among the fighters in all the universes were surprised. They knew of Katchin, the hardest metal in the whole universe. King Kold's army had already found it, but in too small quantities. They were unable to forge it for use as a weapon or armor.  
In Universe 16, Vegetto and Gohan also knew of this metal, like Universe 18's Gohan and his father Goku. The latter had thrown a huge block at Gohan was training to wield the Legendary Z Sword to fight Buu. The sword snapped in two, which surprised everyone present. They were afraid at the time that they had broken the only weapon capable of defeating Buu...  
In Universe 19, the nano-technologists also knew of this precious metal. They knew how to manipulate and even recreate it themselves. The elite forces' armor was made of, at least in an alloy, natural or synthetic Katchin.  
Katchin or not, Sauza was determined to put the little baldy in his place. He had been lucky so far! He approached him once again, crying "You senile old fart! I'll teach you a lesson!"  
He stopped out of reflex to dodge an attack. Kulilin had launched himself admirably, without any useless gestures or difficulty, straightening his legs that were ready to hit Sauza's face. But thanks to the latter's incredible reflexes, he stopped in time and managed to dodge it. He leaned back, thinking that his opponent would pass over him.  
He was wrong. Kulilin stopped short a few inches from him. He remained in this position for a short time, as if floating in the air, and began to whirl suddenly and quickly. He found himself in the ideal position to land a kick on Sauza's left cheek.  
The strike was hard, but Sauza stood firm and did not fall. He retreated one step in shock, while Kulilin gracefully fell to his feet with more flexibility than any man his age.  
"That bastard," thought Sauza, his sore cheek red and scratched. "He's fluid and fast... “But," he thought, noticing that they were fighting so far away from each other, "this midget can't hit far, I must use that!"  
As if he guessed his opponent's thoughts, Kulilin simply attacked. He extended his arm and fist into Sauza's belly. The stroke was rather slow compared to what he could normally do, but it allowed Sauza to take a step back to take advantage of the lengthening gap between him and the shorter man.  
Quickly, Kulilin dropped his cane and with his newly freed hand, he grabbed the rope that served as a strap to his shell, freed his right shoulder and with a large swing he used the shell as a weapon to compensate for his lack of range. Sauza had no time to prepare himself and gasped when he received the blow: even his armor, known to be strong and flexible, didn't adequately protect him. His eyes bulged in pain.  
Kulilin kept his armor under his right arm. He quietly turned his back to his foe a few feet away, taking his time to resume the fight and turning his head towards Sauza.  
"I may be old, but you remain an eternal sucker!"  
Sauza could no longer control himself. This was getting too ridiculous!  
"Enough!" he cried.  
He clenched his fists and let his power accumulate. A white aura tinged with purple surrounded him. Obviously he was a little more serious, and this time he attacked without leaving many openings.  
He launched a few balls of energy at the bald midget, who dodged them with a simple jump. Sauza continued the assault, but Kulilin dodged them as he pretended to glide through the air at the last moment. His opponent increased the pace and this time Kulilin could no longer avoid the fire power. He protected himself behind his shell. There was no explosion. Kulilin and the shell were pushed backwards by the ki balls until after a while, when they started to deflect off the shield.  
As Kulilin pushed his back against the Katchin carapace, Sauza returned to ground level, his body still surrounded by the maleficent aura as he prepared a new attack. This time, it was one big ray of light, no more balls of energy. Before the energy wave could hit him, the bald one seemed to disappear...and reappear where he had dropped his cane. He picked it up quickly and ran quickly towards Sauza, who had just begun to turn his head towards him, surprised by the old man's speed. Kulilin attacked...with his cane. First with a knock on the head, then a fist to counter Sauza's punch, then another hit to the knee, and then the ankle joint, Kulilin attacked. Sauza lost his balance and Kulilin continued his multiple-hit-assault to pressure points and weak spots until he finally backed down.

Sauza got up, angrier than ever. "Okay, you're fast...but it's time to test your resistance, Old Turtle!" he cried, raising his right arm, which glowed with a sharply shaped violet aura and emitted a small crackling sound. "This technique even cuts through metal!" he finished screaming.  
"Scuff my beautiful shell?" Kulilin said, raising an eyebrow. "No way! It's precious to me!" he said, finally dropping his cane.  
He bent his legs slightly apart, stretched his right arm towards the starry sky, palm open and fingers spread. He concentrated his ki and made a yellow disk appear spinning at full speed over his hand. Kulilin shouted the name of his signature technique: "Kienzan!"  
Sauza dashed at his opponent, armed with his right arm reinforced by the violet aura. Kulilin used his momentum to take a step and launched his Kienzan at his enemy. The attack sped at top speed and quickly clashed into Sauza's technique, which seemed to create resistance...but just for a few seconds during which strong crackling and humming could be heard as the audience held its breath.  
The energy blade was then suddenly sliced by the disc.  
The Kienzan cut through Sauza's fingers first, and then through his entire torso diagonally, before continuing on to the stands and the starry sky in a strange parabolic arc before fading away all alone. Sauza fell on his back."Impos...sible...Inferior... Monster!" he managed to say before dying as Kulilin picked up his cane.  
"This end really fits you, I'm sure..." said the old man before starting to return to his wing.  
"Victory of Kulilin from Universe 9! Get back to your personal spaces..." said the announcer into his microphone.  
In the control room of the stadium, a Varga began to speak to one of his colleagues.  
"Is the announcer stupid or what? One of the fighters is dead; he can't get back to his space..."  
"Yeah, another hotshot if you ask me... The underpaid and incompetent kind of guy..."  
"You mean...like us?"  
The Varga laughed. The others soon followed suit...until their leader surprised them with a visit and fired them after finding suitable substitutes...  
In the ring, two of Sauza's henchmen came looking for him, each finding a piece of his body, and brought it to Universe 8. The elite members of the Ginyu Force were dumbfounded. Even if they had lost, at least they were in one piece! At the same time, Frieza started an argument with Coola. After the defeat of his brother, he could criticize him with ease, and he never would be deprived of such a moment…although, again, their father, Cold, had to separate them.  
Meanwhile, Kulilin walked slowly back to his universe Universe. Behind him, someone who thought him to be familiar called out:  
"Kulilin! Hey! Kulilin!"  
Turning around, the little white bearded man wondered why this person called - especially a person with strange hair and a muscular body. It was obvious: this person was a Saiyan. Suspicious, but far from being afraid, he walked toward him. The Saiyan had on a faint smile, which was odd.  
"Um, who are you, Saiyan?" the old man asked.

"It’s me, Goku! It’s very cool that you're participating! You also got to be an old master! Did you achieve your dream of getting married?"  
"You talk to me like I'm your friend..." whispered the bald man.  
Goku was surprised. He had nothing to say while looking at the counterpart of his best friend. Kulilin looked at Universe 18.  
"I do not know you, but I know your Saiyan friend."  
"You mean Vegeta?"  
"I even know Piccolo, too bad most of your universe contains many monsters..."  
"Monsters? Piccolo is not bad," tried to say Goku.  
But Kulilin did not seem to believe him and continued: "Saiyans, demons, Coola's Empire, Androids, Babidi. This place gives me the creeps!"  
He turned his back to Goku, and went back to the Universe of Universe 13, while Yamcha and Tenshinhan were waiting for him.The Saiyan just stood there for a moment. He wondered what happened to Kulilin. He surely replaced Muten Roshi, but he did not know him. Yet he was friends with Yamcha and Tenshinhan, and in his universe, it was because of Goku that they met in the first place. Maybe in Universe 9, Goku still lived in the mountains? Or maybe Bulma never came to Goku's house in search of the Dragon Balls? Or was he killed before he met Kame-Sennin? Or, it was always a possibility that Grandpa Gohan had never dealt with him or didn't find him. The possibilities were endless.  
Then, an announcement was made by one of the Vargas:  
"We finished the first half of 32 rounds. We are now beginning a lunch break."  
Throughout the stadium, participants and spectators were more or less hungry, and they expected the lunch break much before, with a lot of impatience. At the same time, the organizers had not announced the incoming fights. Goku returned to his universe, eager to have some good food. His first son was waiting for him.  
"What did you guys talk about?" Gohan asked curiously.  
"Not much," the Earth's savior replied.  
"Why?"  
"Um, well, he didn't recognize me..."  
"Really?"  
This little information surprised Gohan. Since their childhood, especially when traveling with Kulilin and Bulma to Namek, they had known each other. Goku had told him all about their adventures with Bulma, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Oolong, and Piccolo. It always had seemed obvious that the force that created the Z Fighters was his father. Without Goku, then they would not have gone to Namek, and Kulilin would have not received the major power boost from the Grand Elder. Tenshinhan and Yamcha would have not been so strong if they had not trained under Kaio-sama, who they knew about through Goku. So then, what made Kulilin so strong, even strong enough to defeat Sauza so easily?  
"He also knew Vegeta and Piccolo," pointed out the Super Saiyan.  
That seemed even stranger to Gohan. At the time, Piccolo Daimao was defeated by Goku, and then fought Nappa and Vegeta, and what if a different Saiyan was sent to Earth? Did that cause all the changes? Did Kulilin beat Piccolo instead? Did he face Raditz? Gohan no longer had any time to think about this endless subject.  
"There! We finally prepared the tables. You can eat now," said their universe’s Varga.  
Indeed, behind Gohan was a large table. The Vargas were setting up the plates, utensils, and the food, enough for the exact number for the people in Universe 18.  
Gohan begin looking around. In the first area, he could see the Kaioshins. Then, the participants of Universe 2 came out of their door, or at least most of them; Gohan did not recognize any one of them, and neither did Piccolo, but Son Goku did.  
"Hey! It's Arale! She and I met when we were kids! She was stronger than me then. But why is she there?"  
Other than Arale, there was a small man who had the hairstyle of a Super Saiyan, and a battle outfit, but the color was very different. He also had horns on his head, which made him look like a little demon. Then, a third person appeared. He looked like a cat, rather blue, with giant ears and an ear-to-ear smile. He didn't look that impressive. Many other people were also there: A man-fox with a bushy tail, a little man in disguise as Superman, a girl with multicolored hair, a little vampire-werewolf-koala, little round men resembling apples with antennae on their heads with 2 enormous fangs protruding out of their mouths (They seem to be just a head), other animals that were standing on 2 legs, or animal-men... They had pointy ears anyway. Apart from Arale, there was no one that our friends were able to recognize.Gohan went on. In Universe 3, the Z Fighters only recognized Tapion, but there was also someone, lurking in the shadows. In Universe 4, there was Buu. Universe 5 was completely empty. Universe 6 had part of the Bojack Gang and the "Kat Girls," as they had come to be known. In Universe 7 sat the Super Namek. Universe 8 was crawling with Frieza's family and their small band of soldiers. Then there were the humans of Universe 9, but the Vargas seemed to be preparing the tables big enough for only 3 people. The rest of the universes remained the same... No new fighters...  
While Uub, Pan, Goten, Goku, Vegeta, Bra, Videl, Piccolo, and Trunks were choosing where to sit, a purple Varga approached them.  
"I'll be taking your orders," announced the bird-like creature.  
"Oh! I'll take that and this!!," screamed Goku while looking at the pictures on the menu." Oh! And that too!"  
"What size would you like, sir? We have small, medium, large, and gargantuan. We know that the fighters here are big eaters, so even the size small is pretty decent."  
"Um... I'll take a... large," submitted Goku.  
"No," said Gohan." He doesn't want large, he wants gargantuan."  
"Um... I don't think you understand," replied the Varga. "Gargantuan, and even large, is too much. We made this size for giant participants, like that 8-foot Namek over there. I'm sure he would want that size. You look like you are a medium... Oh! I get it! You are ordering for the whole table!"  
No, no," said Gohan." Gargantuan for him, me, and Vegeta. A few glasses of water for Piccolo, and gargantuan for Goten and Trunks too. I think Bra will take large, and large for Uub and Pan too, and small for Videl."  
The little bird was surprised. A large for that scrawny girl who was barely bigger than him and a large for an even smaller girl who was his size! For him, the amount of food in small size would be enough to last for 2 days!  
Ultimately, the people of Universe 18 chose what they wanted, but the Vargas had to prepare all that in such little time, and in the audience, there were a few million people there that they had to feed too...  
The Vargas went to their command center, and a few minutes later, everyone's food arrived. Piccolo sat at the end of the table (his cape might interfere...). Trunks and Goten sat next to each other, but often giggled, or bickered, so Vegeta separated them by putting Bra between them. Trunks found himself between his sister and father, and Goten was sitting between his best friend's sister and Piccolo, who never joked.Uub and Pan sat next to each other, across from Trunks and Goten, and Gohan and Videl took the last 2 vacancies.

At the control center, there were scrambling Vargas everywhere managing the fighters and the spectators, not to mention all the artificial gravity and mechanics problems. Then, a leader Varga, a little larger than the others, received a few reports. Then, a Namek came to visit him.  
"Everything is going smoothly," said the Namek.  
"I know, I know..." the chief replied.  
"There has been no clashing over universes," said the Varga, while standing upright." They seem to be following the rules."  
"What about the dead and the wounded?"  
"Some of them refuse our care, like the participant of Universe 11, who is near death."  
"We cannot force them..."  
"There are currently 3 deaths, sir."  
"Are the dragon balls ready?"  
"Yes, and they are safe. There should be no problem."  
"Good. Is that all?"  
"Well, there were 2 Nameks of Universes 16 and 18 – counterparts – who came to meet us in Universe 20 to talk about the frozen participant."  
"Oh yeah? Do they know him? Or are they just curious?"  
"They claimed to have fought him in their past. Although they tried to hide it, they seemed a little scared. They recommended not to thaw him out."  
"What are their names?"  
"Piccolo. The name of the frozen man is Broly."  
"Broly? Okay then, we shall use this name in the match. Go tell the Kaioshin about this."  
The Namek left the room and went to the Kaioshin. When he said the name 'Broly', all the Kaioshin recognized it.  
"Wasn't that the name of that Legendary Saiyan?" asked the youngest god.  
"Yes, he was supposed to be the most powerful being ever," replied the oldest.  
"You know him?" asked the Namek.  
"Well, let’s say we met him once too," said the only participating god, while looking straight at the block of ice that contained Broly.The Vargas were overwhelmed!  
They had planned a vast amount of food but... They could not have been prepared for this! The spectators and for participants ate separately from one another... for spectators, it had been fine, but the tournament participants ate far more than what had been expected. After all twenty universes had made their orders, it turned out that too many of the participants were asking for vast amounts of food! Eventually, the chief cook had to decide on a change of plans... Instead of serving the twenty universe all at once, they were to be served one at a time... randomly according to what they had already been able to prepare. Some saw their entire order arrive quickly, others received just a portion of their order... and some ended up receiving nothing at all for several long minutes. The head chef broke out in a cold sweat...

As for the first universe of the Kaioshins, their servings weren't very extraordinary. The female Kaioshin had took a small portion, while the others took portions of a medium size. It was a bit more than expected, but it still went okay. The second universe, had many people. The cook did not know exactly how many attended, but there was at least a dozen people... Some took small portions, others took medium portions. But it was still a lot considering that a small portion could feed a family of Vargas... Surprisingly, in Universe three, simply three portions of different sizes were served.  
But the entire plan was about to be turned completely upside down. From the control terminal of the fourth universe, which housed only the one who called himself "Buu". The little purple Vargas who was in charge of the universe came to the head chef, sweating nervously, and a little embarrassed. So the cook went ahead and asked, "Let me guess... Not a small portion, but an medium one right?"  
"Uh, no..." the poor purple Varga answered hesitantly."Oh? Then a large portion? In that case, here we go!"  
"N-not even... It's even more than... gargantuan..."  
"Could I have mistaken the universe? A large portion should be enough to feed one of the universes of this tournament consisting of several people."  
"The worst part is... that it requires at least three orders of a gargantuan size..."  
The cook was shocked! Three servings of this size!? It was large! It would be enough to feed an entire city of Varga with that! Incredible!  
"Well.. Ok then.. It works" said the head chef trying to appear impassive, as if he had already foreseen everything, which was far from the truth.  
After taking careful note of the large order, and started the machine responsible for preparing it, he called for the next Varga, who was responsible for the fifth universe.  
"No orders for this universe" the Varga said as it simply held an empty order book in its right paw.  
"How can that be? Well, it's a bit of a relief after the order of the fourth universe. Next!" he cried, ready to move on to the next universe.  
It was the sixth universe, housing Bojack's gang as well as the group of girls. The latter only took two orders of a small size, they had decided to share amongst themselves following the advice of their support Varga. Bojack, dubbed the killer of children by the four girls from the same universe, and Bujin, both took an medium sized portion while a small portion was served to Zangya. Who would have thought that all the women of all the universes were watching their figure? The head chef, without any doubt in his mind! And never had there been a contradiction to this!  
Universe 7 brought yet another shock! The Namek giant who measured over two meters high, possibly three, had to eat a lot! He seemed very strong, surely he consumed a lot of energy. The head chef had betted on a gargantuan portion. But that wasn't the case at all.  
"He asks for water, that's all" the Varga said to the head chef.  
"W-water? Just water? Hmm... Yes! Yes, of course, it's a Namek after all..."  
The head chef continued to sweat profusely. What a hard job this was! He had never been dropped by all orders, and it was far from over. The eighth universe had ordered a large number of dishes, since there were many participants from that universe. But the portion sizes at least seemed reasonable. It was the same with universe 9, the portions ordered weren't to out of the ordinary.  
Luckily, everyone from the tenth universe had already left! The head chef had planned a lot for them, since he had been told ahead of time that the Saiyans were very big eaters. The news had come as a great relief after having to fulfill the order of the fourth universe! However, the head chef's joy was short-lived: Two gargantuan sized portions were ordered for the "Majin Buu" of the eleventh universe! But where could those two possibly be putting everything they ate?  
Trunks of the twelfth universe ordered an medium portion, while #16 ate nothing. Next was the thirteenth universe which housed the four "Super Saiyans". This time the head chef had (almost) been able to anticipate the order. He expected a large portion for each participant. However, it was four gargantuan orders... These Saiyans were too proud to order anything but the largest portions available. Nappa had no way of knowing that for once, he would not be able to finish what was on his table ...As for Trunks, it was the opposite. He had modestly taken the recommendations the Vargas made to him literally, and had no idea that he would still be a little hungry after his meal ...His battle as a Super Saiyan had taken a lot out of him.  
In the fourteenth universe, which housed two cyborgs. Two small portions seemed to be enough for thems...  
The head chef began to get depressed ... what if he had not planned enough? What if he ran out of stock? His career would be ruined! When the Varga in charge of the fifteenth universe entered, the head chef was beating his head against a wall. Everyone had been far bigger than he had anticipated!  
"Let me guess... I had planned for a small portion, but far more than that was ordered right?"  
"No, no" the Varga assured without much understanding, considering he was unaware of the orders taken by the other universes "It is a small order."  
"Victory at last! I am not done for after all! Yippee!"  
The head chef was overjoyed, and he showed it in his movements, his dancing body showed a slight bit of madness... which would soon worsen...  
"I'm here for the sixteenth universe's order" said the next Varga as the head chef continued to dance a bit.  
"I hear you, friend. I guess they all ordered medium sized dishes?"  
"No, no. There is a small portion, two medium sized dishes and seven gargantuan orders...  
"The sixteenth universe you say? Wait, surely there is some mistake. I seem to remember that there are two women and a girl in sixteenth universe. It can't be just one of them with a small order!""The little girl is now deceased. The oldest woman takes a small portion, but the other girl asked for a gargantuan order."  
"Gasp! A gargantuan order? For a woman?" The chef thought when he saw her, the ground would crumble beneath her feet. After a dozen commands he had set had failed, one of his fundamental principles had broken as well. What had he done wrong in life to deserve this? These creatures were absolutely filthy! They were eating everything!  
"After this tournament, I'm getting a new job..." said the head chef, noting the large order.  
Cell, of the seventeenth universe, asked for nothing. However in the eighteenth universe, even more gargantuan dishes were ordered... The men of the nineteenth universe each asked for small-sized portions. And for the last block, the twentieth universe... nothing was ordered! There was literally nothing left anyway! They could still make up for the lack of food using the tons of popcorn and hot dogs that were to be provided for the public... that should have been enough.  
"Phew... Finally almost done..." the head chef said once they had almost finished preparing all the meals.  
As he lounged in an armchair after all that hard work, another Varga came to him with more bad news:  
"Say uh, how are we going to get all these gargantuan dishes to the participants?"  
Damn! The halls were too small for such quantities of food prepared!  
"I... I quit... I'm done... Farewell...!" he shouted as he fled from the Varga.

The Vargas had planned for everything beforehand. Perhaps not in terms of food, but the number of employees serving. There was about two thousand small Vargas working. They came suddenly as if from nowhere and flowed around the stands to serve the tens of millions of hungry viewers. Some servers were fitted with a simple and broad tray filled with various sweets, others were pulling a trolley full of drinks with their little furry legs, all offering free snacks. In the shade, in the heart of the asteroid used as a place in the tournament, it was another thousand Vargas helped Nameks, who cooked.  
After preparing the meals for the spectators, the cooks were still very busy with the orders of the twenty universes. One of the Varga noted the frozen participant of universe twenty... "Surely a block of ice like that does not eat" remarked a little insightful Varga top bleachers.  
In their space, The Kaioshin were discussing the "Legendary Saiyan" as well."In your opinion, how strong is this Broly?" the female Kaioshin asked the others.  
"He is supposed to be far superior to us correct?" answered the somewhat big Kaioshin.  
"Should we really be allowing this?" asked the youngest Kaioshin. "I mean... even if he is frozen... it's dangerous to just keep him around like this..."  
"It's not for us to decide", said the oldest of the Kaioshin. When we decided to hold this tournament, we were clearly asked by the Vargas to not intervene on their choices for the combatants. We accepted, and we'll stick to that decision."  
"Yes but... This Broly... shouldn't be taken so lightly." said the young East Kaioshin. "It's the same as it was with Majin Buu, how can we not do something about this? What if we had not dealt with Bibidi back then!?"  
At these words, all the Kaioshin turned to the space of the eleventh universe, where Babidi, son of the sorcerer Bibidi, was waiting patiently for the rest of the tournament, with Majin Buu behind him, grinning like a child.  
During his fight with Bujin, the Gods had seen the extent of the pink monster's power. Although Majin Buu was not at all like they had imagined he'd be, he was clearly still incredibly powerful! And perhaps even worse... in the fourth universe, there was another fighter who was called "Buu". His body was far better suited for fighting... It was also clear that his power was significantly above his counterpart from the eleventh universe, not to mention his intelligence!  
"Don't worry," assured the South Kaioshin, who was participating in the tournament. "Certainly, there are very strong fighters here, but the Vargas have a functional system to return those who break the rules back to their own universe. Whether it be Majin Buu, Broly, or any other, there is no danger. As for the others, leave them to me!" he said jokingly.  
His fellow Kaioshin found it in themselves to smile. The south Kaioshin had the habit of trusting those around him. It was true that apart from two or three fighters, the others surely didn't pose much of a problem. The entirety of the tenth universe's participants had left very quickly after most of their 8 participants had suffered failures...  
And the second universe? None of them seemed very powerful... but none had participated yet, but they would soon.Most of them seemed happy most of the time. Many of them were very small, and spent most of their time playing. There were other more mature looking adult characters that appeared to be stronger. But exactly how were they all involved with each other?  
Unlike many of the present universes, the people of the second universe did not seem to have met each other prior to this this tournament. Most were spotted one at a time by Vargas to be brought to the tournament. However, this tournament, in which even the Gods were participating, was far from being the most appropriate place for most of them. There was even a little girl that wore a white t-shirt with "Arale" written on it... There was also a little demon kid that seemed to be only a little older...  
As the long tables were set up by themselves, appearing from under the ground, the participants and spectators of the second universe each reacted rather randomly. Some had already figured out that it'd be meal time and began to ask questions:  
— "I'm Shu", said the sixteen year old young man dressed in blue, orange, and brown, introducing himself to the man sitting beside him wearing an orange bandana on his head. The man wearing the bandana made no reply. Was he just... dumb? In any case, he had said nothing since he had been there. But Shu had heard others say that his name was "Eight"... Shu did not lingered for a moment on his attempt to get him to speak a word... But they just looked at one another side by side... There was also this "Arale" playing with a weird little guy wearing a gas mask... as well as a ... a turd with pink eyes and a mouth...? At the sight of it, Shu, the young man with messy dark hair, looked away. The odd blue cat caught his interest. What his name ? He had heard it before... He had kept repeating his name in the Vargas ship... Ah yes! Nekomajin Z! Such a strange name. He was talking to two small demons, just as large as Shu. Both had pointy ears, like many others here(was it how everyone was in their world?). But while one was not unlike a human, the other was pink and had his hair pulled back."In my world I am the strongest! I will win this tournament for sure! You know the people of the eighteenth universe? Well they are all in my world too! They're friends of mine. As proof, they wear the same outfit as me! See? See!?" the cat wearing a red kimono said to the two demons, tugging on his shirt to show it clearly. "I am stronger than all of them!" he continued.  
The pink demon kid interrupted saying "My name is Beelzebub... And what puzzles me is... that guy from universe 11."  
"That big balloon looking guy?" asked another child with pointy ears.  
"No, the other guy, Dabra ... He looks a lot like... My father... although he's much smaller... But what if it's him!"  
"Your dad sure got beaten up." Nekomajin said simply.  
"Hey! Don't you dare! My dad is much stronger than him! It just seems odd to me, that's all!"  
"Maybe you should talk to him ... Before he dies..."  
It's true that... Dabra was clearly dying... And if Beelzebub wanted to know more about him, he would have to talk to him soon... But not yet... The food had arrived! Before sitting down in turn, Beelzebub locked eyes with the someone from universe 3 next door. Tapion. He had not fought, but he looked quite confident. Was he strong? Did he have any special abilities or something? Or was it just a look used to deceive his opponents?  
No one in universe 2 knew, so they were curious to see him in action. Even more curious was that shadow that remained at the entrance... He did not eat who did not eat with him. One table had appeared, and only Tapion settled there to eat his meal, which was served at the same time as the meals were served for the people in the universe 2 space. While everyone in these two spaces was served a small pile, the Vargas were busy taking an enormous amount of food to universe 4's space, using anti-gravity vehicles.As Buu sat, waiting for his food to be served, he followed the conversations that were forming here and there, including the one about Broly. He was so eager to face him! This desire came directly from the traits of Goku that still existed in him. The Vegeta in him also wanted to prove his superiority, but there was more to it than that. Buu had absorbed thousands of different people, and his thinking was partially influenced by them all, not by one or two in particular. He had absorbed people even prouder than Vegeta! All those influences inside him gave him a great urge to fight Vegetto as well.  
Buu knew that Vegetto shared this feeling...but there was a dilemma. Buu guessed that Vegetto would refuse to allow Broly to fight anyone but him...but had Vegetto guessed his intentions?  
"Well...I'll eat first and take care of it after..." Buu thought as finally, his freshly made meal was served to him.  
After all, Vegetto would be obliged to defend himself, if Buu decided to attack...  
"Your order has arrived, sir. The dishes are hot and were prepared with great care", said a Varga.  
Buu was slightly surprised... The poor Vargas...  
"Thank you...I will improve the quality a little." he said simply as he rose from his seat to approach his steaming hot food.  
The tentacle on his head moved, pointing at the vehicles that were transporting all the food he had ordered and in a flash of light, everything turned into loads of candy!  
The Varga was shocked for a good ten seconds, there were loads of candy... What a waste! If he told it to the cook, he would surely commit suicide! All that good food that was so beloved by the Vargas...changed into vulgar sweets...the Varga in charge of the fourth universe had already disliked the fighter he was serving, but with that, he hated him outright!  
"This guy is a real demon! How could he do this to us?" he uttered to himself quickly starting to leave; he couldn't stand the sight of seeing Buu eat his candy.  
Buu threw candy into his mouth with a big smile after he had reduced the gourmet meal into a load of sweets that he liked! He certainly could have ordered sweets from the start, but then he would have missed the bewilderment of the Varga, and that would have been a shame! In universe 11, the other Majin Buu had not missed this transformation of food into candy, and it gave him great ideas for later... coming soon ... See you soon!Unlike the space for Universe 5, in which no participant had seemed to appear, the space for Universe 6 was served several dishes. But for the girls, there was a lack of appetite as they questioned their presence in this tournament...  
Kat had lost and she had the greatest physical strength out of them all... Even worse, by coming here, they had revealed themselves to Bojack. They had shown their strength and special skills, and it came with a great risk. Bojack couldn't possibly know where they came from, but couldn't he figure it out? It was a huge risk for something so little, thought the charm-wielding fighter.  
Two separate tables had appeared earlier for the two groups to eat separately. Good thing considering cohabitation between them would have been impossibly tense. Around their round table, the four girls sat silently at first, then began to discuss their next move...as Bojack watched them, smiling. Bojack, the space pirate, who had even killed a little girl, would surely continue to kill many more after this tournament, in order to know where these girls came from. He was curious. Kat had surprised him, she was pretty strong, and he did not think that there were people like that left in his world. She was far from being on his level, but still.  
"Some of them seem friendly...I like the one with dark brown hair, myself. The one with the cape over there next to that 'Cabbage' guy," said the oldest of the young women.  
"You have strange taste" replied the second fighter.  
"This is scary!" Kat interrupted. "Imagine if I had fought against Bojack, he would have had no mercy! He killed a young girl with his bare hands!"  
"Calm down Kat, it's over", comforted the fourth participant. “Stay calm, we'll keep fighting and... If we all lose in the first round, then we'll go...and Bojack won't be able to follow us since he'll be continuing to the second round... In the meantime, let's just eat..."  
Kat was slightly comforted at the idea. Still, waiting until the end of the first round was a bit too long for her, but she had no choice, she didn't want to go home alone! But in the back of her head...she hoped that her friends would lose their matches...without dying of course. She didn't usually think so selfishly, but her fight against Kakarotto had temporarily traumatized her.  
The redheaded Zangya, at the other table, was satisfied. She loved to see others cower in fear of their strength. This Kat was reacting just like so many other victims before her had. The only thing she hated was that in their world, people feared Bojack's very name and not hers... She was much less well-known than her boss, and it bothered her a bit.  
As she drank from her glass, she glanced at Bojack... He was quiet despite his appearance. He was delighted to have broken a young girl, even if he had been momentarily surprised by her speed. Now he was eagerly anticipating his second round match against Cell. "A fight between two greenish monsters, interesting!" Zangya said with a smile as she put down her empty glass.  
Looking straight ahead, she noticed the large Namek in Universe 7. He too was very green... He had been drinking for ten minutes; many large empty glasses were already lined up at the head of the table. Many others were left as he slowly emptied another through a straw. He almost seemed like a tourist on holiday. This guy had remained calm the entire time, a little too calm. At times he almost seemed to be sleeping! Yet the matches that took place were interesting and noisy... It was strange that a big guy like him didn't bother to even take a look at these fights. Was he so powerful that he was sure of his victory, and therefore felt no need to pay attention to the matches between his opponents? He had opened his eyes when Bojack had killed the girl and her father had been enraged...but what could that really mean? Many people in the arena waited impatiently for his fight to come, eager to see what he could do. Not to mention finding out who was the participant from the fifth universe.

Conversely, everyone knew the potential of the eighth universe, and no one expected much from them. Coola had fought with all his might, and hadn't lased very long. His right hand, Sauza, had been killed. Three members of the Ginyu squad had already been defeated. One had been left in a critical condition, Reacum, who was still in the treatment room. It seemed it would all be up to the strength of Freeza, who had passed the second round after Jeece had forfeited. He would be up against Nappa of the Universe 13. However, perhaps there would be others participating from this universe.  
The meal allowed the members of the Ginyu squad to recuperate, while leaving Reacum in the care of the Vargas. Two tables had appeared in space eight: one was prepared for the lords of the universe: Freeza, Coola, and their father King Cold. The second, longer table was for all of their minions. The first to be served were obviously King Cold and his sons. Only Coola did not eat his portion; he just drank the green liquor that had been served, which had a very good taste, but without moderation, was quickly making his head a little fuzzy. Opposite from Cold and Freeza, Coola muttered to himself, mumbling about his opponent allegedly cheating in their match... Depressed, he chose this moment to reflect on a lot of bad memories of other things that he had gone wrong in his life. Freeza took this opportunity to mock his older brother.  
"Oh oh oh oh! You are in a lamentable state Coola. It's been a while since I've seen you like this! In fact, the last time..." Freeza continued, pretending to be trying to remember, "... I believe it was when you could not manage to have a son!"  
"Silence Freeza!" Coola shouted with a deep distorted voice, "You don't know what you're talking about!"  
"Bah," Freeza shrugged, "this explains why my empire is always greater than yours. Just because you won our last fight you think you're better than me, but your fondness for alcohol should slow you down in your progression, and slow your reflexes!"  
"Freeza," Freeza's father, Cold intervened. "Stop behaving like a child...It's unbecoming."  
"But if our positions had been reversed, he would have done the same!" Freeza protested quietly.  
"And you, Coola, stop drinking..." Cold continued, with a stern look at Coola.  
After all, he did not like to see his eldest son like this. Since when did he like to drink this kind of drink? It had a strange effect on his son... The more he drank...the more he wanted, and when he drank he would complain and whine. It would soon become unbearable.  
"Anyway, I will show you what true strength is," continued Freeza. "I will beat that Saiyan, Nappa, quickly! I will humiliate him! That pathetic Saiyan, he won't even touch me!"  
Freeza laughed almost stupidly. Even in the unlikely event that he'd be beaten by Nappa, he had at least passed to the second round. And oh my, it was a nice win against Coola! After Nappa he would either be matched against another Saiyan, whose name he had forgotten, or a humanoid with a number for a name...neither seemed too dangerous... But he decided he should be cautious: Coola had been beaten by a weak looking guy...  
Aside from the three conquerors of the eighth universe, the Ginyu squad also discussed the upcoming fight. Unfortunately they didn't have much left to be hopeful for in this tournament. They spoke only of dishonor, defeat, and humiliation.  
"If only I hadn't been so unlucky!" Jeece grumbled while eating a big piece of meat. "I could have won if I had not been matched against Lord Freeza!"  
"We lost our strength and our chance a long time ago." Butta said before gulping his entire drink in one go.  
"You're all zeroes" Kiwi interrupted, "You were pathetic! You should have let me participate instead!"  
"Don't you say anything!" Jeece said, defending himself, "You're no match for the fighters of this tournament either! And either way, you played the game! And you lost!"  
Kiwi thought back to what they had done several days earlier, when the Vargas had arrived with their idea of the Multiverse Tournament... The three members of Ginyu squad and Kiwi were present at a fight to the death between two fighters, or rather, two slaves. The event wasn't exactly rare, but in this battle, it was clear to everyone who would win. So Reacum, Butta, and Jeece placed bets on the better warrior and, when Kiwi would do the same Jeece said:  
"You can't bet on the same one as us, it takes at least one that bets on the other to make a real bet. If you don't do it, then you might as well be criticizing Lord Freeza!"  
He had no choice...as usual. He had long been oppressed by these three of the Ginyu Squad. On this bet, the one who lost would be forced to resign from the Multiverse Tournament of the Vargas... And voila! Now he was unable to participate, and the other three had lost!  
"But now look at you!" Kiwi defended himself to make fun of the Ginyu Squad's losers. "A coward who forfeits, a fool who thinks he's the fastest in the universe and is defeated with one hit, and another getting screwed up by a simple Namek! Pitiful!"  
Jeece and Butta said nothing. Kiwi had a point...  
"If only Captain Ginyu was still here...it wouldn't have been like this..." Jeece added, aware that everything happening to them was due to the absence of their leader. "Had he been here...he wouldn't have lost, he would have given us courage and strength... He was the best... He would have won his first match, and the next one!"  
"Without him," said Butta, "our squad really isn't the same...not to mention Guldo... How can we compare to how we used to be with just the three of us? Our combat effectiveness is greatly reduced..."  
"It could have been worse though..." Jeece said, trying to comfort his companions, and himself. "Coola's commando lost too. Sauza was the only one who participated and he was killed, by a decrepit old man no less!"  
They looked at the other end of the table where the two companions of Sauza mourned the death of their leader, whose body, or rather the two separate pieces of it, had been taken back to the ship.  
But Butta recalled something... At one time, Sauza and Ginyu had fought over who would be the leader of the Freeza's special squadron. The fight had been long and hard for both elite soldiers, and Ginyu had managed to win...but their strength was nearly equal. Sauza was stronger than Reacum or Jeece, and faster than Butta, even he had to admit... And he lost against an old man of Universe 9. Sauza...had he weakened that much over the years? Or was this old turtle man really so strong? And what of his two companions who had come along with him?  
Butta looked to his left at the universe next door... Universe 9... he was curious to know just how strong they really were.In the space of Universe 9, Kulilin, who was one of the participants in the last round of the first half, seemed rather calm. His presence and his wisdom were felt by the people around him, yet he was anxious. He talked to his friends a lot about the ups and downs about the tournament, and had described many of his former enemies.  
In universe 8 stood Coola. In the past, Coola was a formidable opponent! Kulilin and his friends had somehow managed to defeat him, but were puzzled by the fact that he had a younger brother, Freeza, whom they had never heard of. But they were sure they could defeat Freiza. Terrible enemies overall!  
"Fortunately, I had to fight Sauza..." thought Kulilin, lowering his head slightly. Beside him stood Tenshinhan, arms crossed. He hoped that he would face someone very soon, preferably Yamcha. He smiled when he met his friend's eyes, both thinking of the same thing. If they fought, it would be very interesting! If Tenshinhan did not get Yamcha, there would be many more worthy opponents, such a the highly advanced participants of universe 19, the Bojack Gang and the giant in universe 7. With Tenshinhan's brute force, endurance, and skill, he was surely superior to many fighters.  
A table finally appeared from the ground, which indicated that their meal would arrive shortly. Yamcha, Kulilin, Tenshinhan and the other earthlings of their group settled there. Yamcha placed himself at the head of the table. They took the opportunity to talk to each other.  
"Nice job against Sauza!" Yamcha said to his faithful friend. "It was awesome compared to the trouble he gave us last time!"  
"Thanks!" he answered with a slightly aged voice. "But next round, I will fight this Tapion, and since he did not fight this round, I don't know anything about him."  
Yamcha looked at the Kaioshin. The God of the Gods! He surely would be a challenge if anyone in his group fought him.  
"I get it, Yamcha," said Tien while looking at him with his three eyes and a smile. "Always the first to rush into danger at full speed. We should really save our energy.  
"Do what you want!" Yamcha replied. "I not going to fight under the radar. I want to shine!"  
"You say this because you think you are stronger than Tenshinhan!" said Kulilin.  
"That very well might be the case!"  
"We haven't sparred for a very long time so far! You'll see lots of surprises from me!" said Tenshinhan.  
"Eh..." said Yamcha. "I would prefer not to fight each other very soon, or get eliminated early. If we don't lose, the would be a bigger chance for our universe to win."  
Nobody said a word. The matter was resolved. If Kulilin beat Tapion, he would surely face Cell, and after seeing his spectacular performance against Dabra, it would be very hard to defeat him. And maybe Freeza, and then Vegeta! The latter easily won his match, owning his counterpart Oozaru like it was nothing.  
"I realized, that many people have conterparts," said Yamcha.  
"Like Trunks from universe 12. He is identical to ours," said Tien.  
"There are also two Trunks' in the 16 and 18," said Kulilin. "Do you think they are all sons of Bulma?"  
"It would not be surprising," said Yamcha. "We would have to ask them."  
"There are also two Videls in the 16 and 18, identical to ours," stated Kulilin.  
"I wonder if they are participating," said Yamcha.  
"Me too. That weird Saiyan that greeted me like a friend after my match was from universe 18. He was like a gentle Saiyan. Difficult to imagine," asked Kulilin.  
The Vargas brought a variety of drinks and placed them on the large table. The trio of powerful warriors started eating with chopsticks, while the rest of the table used forks and spoons.  
"You can always change their attitude over time... It feels just like it was yesterday that Tenshinhan was a complete asshole," started Yamcha.  
Tenshinhan barely blinked and then finished his drink. Then he smiled.  
"Aren't Trunks from our universe and universe 12 Trunks very alike?" asked Kulilin.  
Yamcha was silent for a moment. He knew where his friend was going. Trunks of the 9 and Trunks of the 12 seen very similar, like brothers indeed, but with the same name. Universe had a visit from universe 12 Trunks, before the tournament, and had told that he was the son of Bulma too. Then they watched him defeat Coola like it was nothing.  
"When Trunks of the 12 turned Super Saiyan, I was surprised. He was so nice, yet he was one of those terrible Saiyans!" said Tenshinhan.  
Yamcha looked at Tien with a surprised face. Kulilin started laughing, but then choked on his meal so those laughs turned into a couple of coughs.  
Yamcha suddenly clenched his fist and griited his teeth.  
"If one of those monsters raped Bulma, I will kill him! So what if I break the rules!" screamed Yamcha.  
"Calm down Yamcha, calm down. What if Bulma and this Saiyan liked each other? Bulma could like anyone. She has a big heart behind that nice pair of..." Kulilin ended."Cough, cough!" said a voice next to the old master.  
"What is it Trunks? Are you choking on your food?"  
"Could you stop talking nonsense, please Master Kulilin? Anyway, what happened in other universes is none of our our concern," replied Trunks.  
"Yes, its better not to talk about it," said Videl who was sitting across from Trunks, thinking about her counterpart's expression when her competing daughter died.  
Kulilin understood and became serious. They ate in silence until the conversation took on a new subject.  
"Do you think Babidi himself is participating in the tournament?" Tenshinhan asked.  
"Well, there is no risk," calmly replied Kulilin when Yamcha nodded.  
Tenshinhan found himself gazing at Babidi, and examining Cell. Earlier, during his fight with Dabra, he had use the Taiyoken. How could he know it? Did he know other techniques that Tenshinhan invented? The question arose other competitors. The little girl killed by Bojack knew the Kamehameha, the favorite move of Muten Roshi, and now Kulilin...  
Tenshinhan looked to his right. Universe 10 was empty, but there fight was still on, so Yamcha might win the first round without a fight! Then he looked at the eleventh, watching Babidi containing Buu.  
Babidi and Buu ate on the same table, while Dabra was on the ground, dying. The sorcerer was ignoring the dying demon. He had lost, so now he was paying the consequences. Perhaps it would have been better if he had died immediately! Majin Buu was very cheerful. With his great spirit, Buu transformed all his foods into candy, as did his counterpart from the universe 4. Not only did the former transform his own food, but also that of his master! Babidi hated it. Despite his commands, Buu just turned every dish into sugary junk! It became a pile of sweets, and he always gobbled it up.  
Babidi tried to stop it with his powers, but the djinn was to strong! All in all, he had to use the sentence he hated the most.  
"Calm down or I will turn you into a cocoon!" shouted Babidi.  
Buu calmed down immediately. He ate nothing, but scowled, pouted, crossed his arms, and turned red with anger. What a bratty child!  
The doings of Buu amused Trunks of universe 12. He calmly ate his meal, while 16 was silent, just as usual, folded arms back, as if asleep. It's not like he did not like the presence of the android, but he wished if he could he with his friends of the universe 16, or the 18. There there was Goku, and his father Vegeta, though Vegetto felt very different from the two fusees.  
Trunks had made his decision, and that he would eat dessert, with his friends of the 18, if they let him. Of course, Trunks knew they would not deny him a seat. His next fight was against his father. Their last real battle took place in the Room of Spirit and Time, before the Cell Games. Today, Trunks was ten years older, and his father was more than twenty years older. How strong could he be now? Trunks still had a surprise or two. But he also thought of Gohan, to return to his former mentor and his father would give himself pleasure. He thought it would not be the right time to greet his friends of the 16 because Gohan had lost his daughter... Trunks had to pass them to get to the 18th Universe.The warriors of Universe 13 ate like complete gluttons. Prince Vegeta, the brothers Kakarotto and Raditz, and old Nappa all took huge mouthfuls; the food was served continually for half an hour. The Saiyans’ round table was filled with large, empty bowls and trays of garbage that the Vargas were desperately trying to clear. But the servers were obviously outnumbered, exhausted by the unusual level of stress. Their blue, green, and yellow feathers dripped with sweat.  
As they ate, the four Saiyans took the opportunity to discuss the tournament, which so far had gone well for them. Two of them had already won their matches easily. They were quick to discuss:“That Namek was nothing!” Nappa said, tearing a huge chunk of meat from a bloodied white bone. “Anyway, I’m glad Reacum lost to one of them. Those slugs were right to run away – I would have enjoyed exterminating them all a second time!”  
“You’re really a pig, Nappa,” Kakarotto answered from across the table. He ate everything just as neatly … that is, by spreading grease and crumbs everywhere.  
“You’re in no position to tell me that! At least I beat up a warrior, not a girl!”  
“She was probably stronger than your Cargot,” replied the double of Son Goku.  
“Pah! Don’t make me laugh. I would have beat her just as quickly. How could you fall for that bitch so unnecessarily?”  
“That’s normal. At least I’m sure to pass my next round against the little girl! You can’t possibly beat Freeza.”  
Nappa was silent for a moment..... He even stopped chewing on his chicken leg (in any case, it was fairly tasteless) to think. That was rare for him!  
It was true that his next fight was against Freeza, the tyrant whom they had humiliated when Vegeta had defeated him by becoming a Super Saiyan. Could they repeat that feat again today?  
“I saw Freeza laugh when he looked at us just now,” interjected Raditz from Nappa’s left. “I think he will take great delight in eliminating you.”  
Nappa knew his friend was right … then suddenly a tremendous idea occurred to him!  
“But of course!” he shouted so loudly that it embarrassed the others; they stared at him curiously. “Heh, heh, heh!” the giant continued, folding his arms and nodding his head with a smile. “I know how to defeat Freeza! He won’t recover. This will be humiliation like never before!”  
Nappa laughed, his big mouth wide open. His friends wondered what his idea was, but Nappa refused to tell them.   
“It’s a surprise. Everyone will be thrilled! Ha, ha, ha. I’ll take him all the way back to the beginning!”  
He began eating again, taking even larger bites. Raditz had almost finished with everything he had to eat; he took the opportunity to speak:  
“Enjoying our fights, Vegeta? I am looking forward to winning my own as well. Especially if I fight those weaklings from Universe 2 over there – they look so ridiculous!”  
“The ones from Universe 10 were insects as well,” added the leader of the Saiyans.  
“Ah, yes the 10th universe. I enjoyed the fight against Father. Kakarotto, what about you?”  
“I don’t give a damn,” his brother replied, continuing to eat.  
“It’s true that you’ve never known him – I would have liked to see you fight against him, as much as your fight with the kid from 18!”  
“Bahaha! Raditz, on the shoulders of his dear father. Ha!”  
Raditz glared at Nappa. Of course he would think of a ridiculous scene like that. Small wonder that in Universe 18, Vegeta had killed him with his own hands!  
“You’re a little too sentimental, Raditz,” said Vegeta with a smile. “Perhaps that’s why you haven’t become a Super Saiyan.”  
That insult hurt; he would have liked to be one too! The Super Saiyans had golden, shining hair, such power, such appeal! But he got stronger every day anyway…he hadn’t given up hope for his own transformation someday. Perhaps it would be in this tournament!  
“Speaking of other universes and all that – I think it’s a shame,” began Kakarotto, finishing his bowl, “that my counterpart will win a lot of fights, but I can meet him in the fifth round. The semifinals, in fact.”  
‘I hope I don’t have to face someone as strong as Vegeta,’ he thought, glancing to the left. Kakarotto looked across at Nappa – the big Saiyan probably knew that he would lose against Freeza, or definitely against this Son Goku if he could somehow defeat the son of Cold. Kakarotto was anticipating some remark from the general, but he only smiled. What was he thinking about? Could he be hiding something – a technique, a new power?”  
Vegeta paid no attention to Nappa and Kakarotto. In fact, he didn’t really care about Nappa’s, or really even about Kakarotto’s. All that mattered to him was his own victory. He was thinking of a different character: Trunks from Universe 12, who had so easily beaten Cooler. According to the fighters from Universe 18, this was the son of his counterpart.  
The alternate Vegeta smiled, tempted to imagine, if only for an instant, what his life would have been like if he had been able to settle down and father children. It reminded him of the words of his double from Universe 18: “We were better.” Was he implying that what happened in his universe was the best possible outcome for him? What did the Vegeta from Universe 18 want – to be the greatest power in the universe? To be the true Prince of Saiyans? That had already happened in Universe 13; he himself had defeated Freeza.What astonished Vegeta most was the huge difference in status between the two Princes of the Saiyans. He had become the absolute master of the universe. People bowed before him, trembling at the mention of his name. The weak pursued him, cheering at his strength. He had all the women he wanted; all his desires become reality. He was Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans, singly omnipotent at the top of the universe!  
The other, from Universe 18 – he was not even the leader of his little band! This group seemed like a bunch of children who had come to a picnic. There didn’t even seem to BE a leader. They all spoke as equals; Vegeta was lost in the shadows of the group. He was low – at his lowest, in fact. The Kakarotto in his universe mocked him; why didn’t he put him in his place with a right hook?  
And his children – an immature kid so weak that he wasn’t even participating. The father even seemed disappointed by his son’s combative nature. His daughter was a princess – her haughty and contemptuous tone pleased him, but the little bitch was even weaker than her brother! Apparently, this Vegeta had never given her any training.  
Among the Saiyans, there is no weaker sex. The girl’s strength was pitiful, probably thanks to the weak planet on which they lived; that’s the only way such a lapse could have happened. A miserable life without honor, failed children – how could he consider his shabby existence better than that of the Master of the universe? There was definitely something wrong about him.  
There was also the battle between this Vegeta and the other from Universe 10, a King in his own right. He had easily defeated his opponent while the king was an Oozaru; Vegeta wondered how his counterpart could be so sure of himself, so at peace.  
Among the confident warriors, there two in the space reserved for Universe 14, twins within nothing but numbers for names. When they arrived at the tournament right after his own group, the girl had mocked them openly, but particularly Vegeta. Supposedly, they had toyed with him and killed him in their world – was it true? Vegeta wanted to ask his double if he knew these two microbes, but he quickly changed his mind. What interest? He could never fall for the girl – never be so ensnared by his heart! They couldn’t be that strong, anyway. And yet…this girl did know his name!  
Vegeta watched them. They ate quietly, only consuming a small amount of food. The woman, #18, had already finished and waited for her brother, her head in her hand, elbow on the table. She seemed bored – maybe she was just eager for her first fight? She also seemed a bit disgusted that her brother was pitted against Goku in the second round…why? Would she enjoy that fight more herself? To top it off, he talked about it while mocking his sister!“Finally,” he said, “I’m going to be able to finish our stupid mission!”  
“It will certainly be better than destroying the same cities over and over for thirty-six years,” complained the pretty blonde woman. “I fight hard… I can’t wait!

“Your turn will come, don’t worry,” said her brother as he swallowed his pasta. “Yum! Good food, that’s what is missing.”  
“And who killed the last cook on Earth, huh?” asked his sister with a provocative look.  
“All right, how was I to know that it was the last one? It’s not my fault if earthlings are so worthless in the kitchen! Even women are no longer good for anything.  
“You want to say that again?!” 18 shouted, rising and slamming her fist against the table.  
“I’m not talking about you! Gosh.”The cyborg sat down, realizing she had overreacted. She was just bored; she did nothing. It was fun to throw balls of energy around, blowing up everything, but it had been decades since they had encountered a real population. The hunt for humans was isolated now. What a change to have such a huge audience around her! Also, most were not human beings – aliens, monsters…she knew her brother would love to go into the stands and just start killing everyone.  
But they were facing great fighters, too; that excited her. Simply destroying everything would mean losing the opportunity to meet new people. If these birds could really send them back, that would be the peak of frustration!  
She looked around at the other competitors. There was an odd woman in the space reserved for Universe 15 still waiting for her child – what an idiot! Who would register her offspring before they were even born?  
As she sat, still touching her transparent belly, a small Varga approached her. Holding a pen and asmall notepad, he asked her what she wanted for dessert:  
“I feel he’ll be born soon!” exclaimed the mouther of I’K’L, hoping that the birth would happen and her son could still participate despite the forfeit against #17 an hour earlier.  
The Varga looked at the strange animal swimming quietly in the open uterus. He didn’t seem to move more than would be expected; the only changes were the inflation and deflation of her belly, as if the infant was breathing the liquid in the mother’s womb. If this baby was trying to get out now, the Varga would rather be anywhere else! He was really tiring of this woman. Ever since they had entered her universe and invited her to come to the tournament, she had been a nuisance. Why had their sensors pointed to her? She walked slowly; surely she couldn’t fight. Even a small Varga soldier could surely crush her. Yet she put on hairs, acting high and mighty; he was glad the organizers had eliminated her quickly. What a joke! Just thinking about it, a small smile lifted the corner of his beak.  
“Sure, sure, we’re waiting. By the way, what do you eat?”  
He wished he could leave quickly without worry about her. He was there to take a dessert order; nothing more. Birth or no birth, he wouldn’t stand there for thirty years!  
I’K’L’s mother couldn’t believe her eyes. The delivery was coming soon; how could this duck talk like that? The bird waited for half a minute, then turned on his heel. Had he been afraid of her? Of course, he hadn’t; after hearing no answer to his question, he assumed she didn’t want to eat anything, then left the unpleasant lady.  
He would have much rather taken care of the next space, Universe 16, rather than this woman. The people in that area looked much more welcoming, even if they ate a lot! Of all the universes, it was obviously this one who ate the most – particularly this guy named Vegetto who ate for at least thirty! It was too much to count (it would take too long; just a glance was enough)! The number of empty bowls and dishes on his side, piled on the floor in front of him and around him for a lack of space, made the others look like they ate nothing. One compared to him; his daughter Bra was the only woman to eat dishes of such dramatic size. On the other hand, Gohan and Videl didn’t eat as much; this was understandable; seeing their daughter die had ruined their appetites. As for Piccolo, he drank only a little water and sat quietly.  
No one spoke; Vegetto simply devoured every dish!  
In the space for Universe 16, Son Goten and Trunks had plenty of time to predict what would happen later in the tournament. With big smiles they shared with their family and friends as they finished their meal:  
"Our victory is assured" they proclaimed mischievously. "Everything is going according to plan, the second part of the round is ours!"  
Piccolo opened his eyes wide. What would follow would certainly be silly and totally illogical as usual. The great Namekian sometimes wondered how one could be the president of an international company with such a temperament. In their Universe, they never battled Vegetto and Bra. Yet they thought they would remain...  
"Explain your logic, microbe" the favorite sister said to Trunks, "I need a laugh right now."  
Trunks, used to being called a "germ" by his sister, ignored the remark and explained:  
"So, it's very simple. Papa's gonna put a spanking on you and you'll be removed. Then the only adversary left to fear will be Gotenks. Although I think we're stronger than you, sis, it's no matter because fate has spoken against you and you will lose to dad."  
"Well then, you have access to the old fortune teller Baba?" said the girl as she crossed her arms.  
"Exactly, and it cost us a premium. I can't even tell you the price of an inter-universe call! I had to sell a subsidiary to pay for it!" Trunks joked.  
"Absolutely" Goten added seriously, "but he was losing money anyway, the factories were at a deficit. They tried to sell anti-capsules. Giant capsules that can hold only one or two items inside. A resounding failure!"  
Gohan managed to smile despite his grief.  
"So if I understand correctly," said Vegetto, "you must have the presence of mind to know that you can not beat me, but Buu from Universe 4, Broly from Universe 20, the Super Namekian from Universe 7, and your double from 18? None of them scare you?"  
"Ha, ha," said Goten, "I can already see them imprinted on the sole of the great Gotenks' shoe."  
"Sure... and if you expect to win the tournament, how do you expect to win against me?" again asked their father, interested in their response.  
"Well, this is where fate and the God's have already intervened against you, we are sorry for you, but they are totally biased. They've decided to pass an order that you should be defeated early, perhaps in your first fight. It is against one of the prettiest girls from Universe 6."  
"Yes, the redhead" Goten added."No you idiot! The redhead, she's with that bastard Bojack. Did you not notice the color of her skin? No, it's another one.. She will use her charms like the one did against Kakarotto, and you'll kindly give up."  
"Yes, initially, we would say it was because you don't hit girls but we know it doesn't bother you..." added the brother of Gohan.  
The mood suddenly got heavy. Goten knew he had not been very subtle, and lowered his head, pretending to be interested in his food.  
"Anyway," Trunks said, trying to change the mood, "you won't lose by force, but by magical powers on behalf of the moon or something."  
"You obviously haven't watched "The Adventures of Vegetto" on TV, son. I am also immunized against all kinds of magic. I crushed the most powerful magician of all, Babibi."  
"I don't watch cartoons. Besides, 3D aliens aren't compatible with the TV in the house. And I'm not even in your cartoon. It sucks." Trunks replied.  
"Oh, sorry, the show had to be about a hero. On top of that, since you do nothing but sit around all day, you couldn't even play a younger version of yourself."  
"It's certainly not because I'm locked in an office all day that I do nothing..." Trunks retorted.  
"No physical movement anyway. Your arms are as soft as caramel and Gotenks will be crushed by Uncle Krillin or a moron from the Ginyu squad" added Bra, who rarely gave up a chance to make fun of her brothers.  
"Who's left from that squad anyway?" asked Gohan. I think I remember... the little guy that can stop time, and Ginyu himself right?  
"The rest of them I haven't seen. I even feel that they aren't there" said his father.  
"Someone had to stay and guard the empire, I guess..." concluded Son Gohan.  
"Eh-hem!" Trunks cleared his throat. Quit getting away from the more interested topics... namely, us. Once Vegetto has lost, the lady will meet an insensible brute in the next round. She we be defeated by the guy with the big hair from Universe 13, one of the perverts."  
"That's Raditz, the brother of Go... Kakarotto" specified the Namekian.  
"And voila! Insensible to the charms like his brother, he will win. Then in the next round he will meet Gotenks, who will avenge the damsel in distress!"  
"You're not supposed to avenge damsels in distress you're supposed to save them" intervened Videl who had only half been listening to what they said.  
"Oh yea! But then the wrong person would be eliminated."  
"So, then you win. And what is your wish?" Vegetto asked."Uh..." said Trunks.  
"Well..." said Goten.  
"I think we're going to ask Shenron to shave Bra's head" replied the purple-haired boy.  
"It's Porunga" muttered Piccolo without being fully heard.  
"Bald... for life!" specified Goten.  
Bra kept her calm for the time being. She knew that these two buffoons could get away with making fun of her in the presence of Vegetto who could protect them from her... nonverbal response. Since she had no reply, she remained silent.  
"No, actually... I have one wish to ask," Goten said, suddenly serious, "and it's not Shenron I'll ask.  
"Porunga" said Piccolo between his teeth.  
"I'll ask the organizers permission to take a walk through the Universe 6 area, after the tournament."  
The others remained silent for a moment.  
"We won't stay long. A few minutes, yes, just a few minutes..."  
Son Goten had finally broken the atmosphere... They all returned to their meals and ate in silence. Vegetto felt the ki of each person sitting at the table increase... anger and hatred had caused it to rise. This eventually passed, but it was true that this charming family, except Gohan, had never really experienced the horrors of war, and even though everyone knew that the death of Pan was temporary, they still found it difficult to accept.  
What was making them all crazy over it was the sadistic laughter of the monster Bojack. If Pan had died to a strike or a major attack they would have certainly accepted it, but this way... No, Bojack should pay one way or another.  
Bra knew that if she turned into a Super Saiyan she could crush this idiot in a few strikes. Oh yes, his size was no match for her anger. At that moment she hated that her brother and father had paused to follow the rules of this idiotic tournament when a real mission loomed before them. Who cared about the tournament?  
That's what she thought: "Do you really believe that a bunch of sparrows could prevent us from acting? Hell we have Vegetto with us... He has traversed dimensions, made and unmade governments. He had defeated intangible beings and awoken evil Gods simply for the purpose of eliminating them. How can a remote control contain him? Oh no, if he wanted to he could crush Bojack, the organizers, and the other fighters. A massive free for all would break out and they would have fun! It would be fast, they would annihilate those other baffoons that called themselves competitors. Then Bra could finally unleash her rage on somebody with a high power level other than her family. If the luck of the rounds gave her a weak opponent it would not do at all. Since she didn't have the right to kill an opponent she must let them leave the ring in one piece. She had to let go of her anger.  
Gohan felt his sister's hostility. He was thinking...  
"Your anger is justified, but don't forget Bra, that your anger is your worst weakness... As a father I would never want this evil to happen to my only daughter, but as a teacher, I know how much suffering is a part of learning. Moreover, I suspect that during your and Vegetto's mission in the world, you have had to handle things that are disreputable for a child barely entering adolescence... I feel that Pan is like my father... and so are you. I know that you will die many times in your life. How can I believe otherwise? Some time a danger will come, perhaps even during this tournament, that you will not always be able to match. Your adventures are just beginning, I just hope mine are over."  
The tension was gradually fading. Piccolo looked out of the corner of his eye at the Super Namekian of Universe 7 who was drinking through a straw. Piccolo had exceeded the power of all Namekians long ago, but this one surely must be even more powerful. Silent as a grave and solid as a rock, that Namekian, the last of it's kind in the world, had not come to test his abilities. No, he had to win the tournament. He was determined, but did he have the necessary strength? For once, Piccolo regretted not taking part in the tournament because he wanted to fight this enemy. As for the small Pan... the daughter of his protege... He felt his sadness, but he was not the kind to give a pat on the shoulder.  
The meal contidued. The Vargas came to the door with a tray to fill with all their dishes. The frustration did not last long however.  
"So who do you think will win?"  
This time the question was serious, it was Piccolo who had asked after all.  
"Duh, me" said Vegetto with a full mouth.  
"Nobody here worries you? Not even this Super Majin Buu? continued the Namekian.  
"Oh him... He'll be by far my most dangerous opponent. Pure power is not a question, I place him as one of the strongest, plus he has all the powers of the Buu we know: unlimited energy, regeneration, endless magical powers... If we add all the other mysterious warriors he could have absorbed, you can count on new techniques, a keen intelligence, in short, an amazing opponent certainly. But still... Against me..."  
The answer seemed obvious... Is Vegetto too sure of himself?  
"And Broly?" asked Bra, "You're making a big fuss about him..."  
"Um, Broly is a special case. His power must have been growing constantly for years... Producing a terrifying result. And then he is still in the Legendary Super Saiyan form so insensitive to blows. Eventually the ice he is in will break from his high power level. I think he is the one with the biggest power here. One brutal and enormous strength" he said, resuming a big bowl of noodles, "An indestructible monster growing more dangerous every second... But he will get eliminated and sent back to his Universe" he added, "He will attack the audience for sure".  
"So you can't beat him?" asked Goten, who had a grain of rice at the corner of his mouth, noticing that his father had avoided a direct answer.  
"Of course I can. But unless I am his first opponent, he will get sent back for non-compliance because he'll attack the crowd before his opponent can get his attention. If it was me I'd run directly in front of him. Ha ha!   
"This would only be possible if Buu agreed to cheat for me..." he thought, then an announcement was heard at the same time.  
"Your attention please, dear fighters and spectators! Please finish your meal quickly! The tournament will resume in ten minutes... The next fight will be with Vegetto from Universe 16 against the unknown participant of Universe 20!"  
This unexpected announcement caused almost every member of universe 16 to choke. Especially Trunks, he had to bang on his chest to unblock his airway. Goten's bowl had slipped from his hand and he had hit his hand on the table while trying to recover it. Son Gohan spit out everything in his mouth while Bra fell back out of her chair. Only Piccolo, who had his arms crossed, seemed to not react... only he knew that he was just as shocked as the others. But he also understood immediately... All of this was a result of a plan that Vegetto had set up with Buu of Universe 4... He had acquiesced to the request of the merged Saiyan... but why? The Namekian thought about it for a moment... then his gaze fell on the space to the right.The space reserved for Universe 17 was the quietest in the building. Unlike the Universes with many participants and spectators such as 2 and 8 of the Cold empire, 16 and 18 or 10 before they left, Universe 17 included just two creatures. They did not move much, and they did not eat anything, unlike Universe 4 for example who's only participant sat eating a huge pile of candy.  
Cell stood patiently, arms crossed, and staring hard. Only his eyes were active, moving in all directions to effectively observe everything around him. Standing next to him was his son, who looked around at the people in the stands, and moved around a bit, but still remained on good behavior. What excited him was the thought of a fight, but it was taking far too long. Cell hope he would have the chance to fight an unknown opponent who would take his little creation for granted. The small blue Cell was very strong, fast, and agile; possessing a destructive potential that his small stature did not reveal in the least. He would have a good chance of winning his next fight.  
Cell had but one desire for himself: to win his next fight against Bojack. He had gotten a good look at him in his fight against Pan, the daughter of Gohan. In the beginning there was nothing impressive, but due to his small transformation he proved to be much more interesting. The daughter of Son Gohan was not strong enough, unsurprisingly, even as a Super Saiyan. Bojack killed her with one hand... she had not been able to survive. Therefore it promised to be a good fight! He should be almost as strong as Dabra!  
In any case, Cell had no doubt about his next victory. And in the third round, he would meet the winner of the battle between Krillin and Tapion... For the former, no problem even if he did seem different from the one he knew, and not just his age... About Tapion... he didn't know anything about him, and since he had not yet fought, there was nothing to be deduced about him... not until the second round anyway... But he didn't look too impressive... no doubt that Cell would win against him.  
In the next round, he would have to fight against Trunks from Universe 12 or Vegeta from Universe 18... Or maybe even the Son Goku of Universe 13 who was called Kakarotto... Trunk had 10 years to increase his power, Vegeta had more than thirty years, and Kakarotto was very different from the past's Son Goku... "Definitely weaker than him" thought Cell, who would enjoy the chance to fight any counterpart of Son Goku's.  
In any case, Cell looked forward to seeing all these fights to get a more complete picture of his opponents... and he hoped to fight Son Goku himself in the semifinals! With luck, his Cell Junior would make it to the final from the other half of the draw, which would make him an easy winner of the tournament... and then he could make his wish... because Cell had become far more powerful than before, an incredible force that Son Goku and his friends could never have imagined!  
In their position within the 17th Universe Balcony, Cell and one of his Juniors, even with their exceptional hearing, were amazed by how much louder the total sound from the 18th Universe Balcony was than that of the 16th Universe Balcony.  
Cell watched with disgust at the Saiyans’ voracious eating habits.  
While Goku of Universe 18 was eating a lot, Vegetto of Universe 16 was eating far more. In fact, Vegetto was eating more than Goku and Vegeta combined!  
Gohan and Videl of Universe 18, however, were eating better than their counterparts from Universe 16. It was understandable, after all, as their Universe 16 counterparts had just seen their daughter killed in combat against Bojack.  
Their own daughter right now was sitting next to Uub, and she was fighting him for one last piece of meat. In the midst of her epic battle for that last piece, she gave her parents a quick smile, then refocused her efforts.  
The happiness of their own daughter, while completely appreciated, prompted Gohan and Videl to reflect upon the horrid fate that had befallen their daughter’s counterpart. While they were not Universe 16 Pan’s actual parents, their care and compassion were unequivocally, and understandably, sincere.  
“Can you imagine, Gohan? Had things been a bit different, it could have been our own daughter who faced that monster,” Videl said.  
“I don’t think I would have let her get in the ring,” Gohan said, to slightly reassure her. “I think my counterpart let Pan fight Bojack because she achieved her basic Super Saiyan transformation. However, if Bojack had grabbed our daughter’s neck the way he grabbed hers, I would have intervened.”  
Videl saw a certain gleam in her husband’s eyes, and it reflected frustration and sadness.  
He was wondering how another version of himself, who in many ways was similar, had let this happen without intervention. He even briefly wondered if his counterpart from Universe 16 regretted what had happened.  
No, it was almost certain that he regretted what had happened, and Gohan knew his counterpart might feel progressively worse with time.  
Because of all of this, and since the beginning of the meal, Gohan wondered if he really should let Pan withdraw from the Multiverse Tournament, as she had earlier said she wanted to do, or if he should encourage her to stay in the tournament while maintaining cautiousness.  
Her grandfather had been outspoken about the fact that he did not want Pan to exit the tournament so soon after it began. While Goku was energetically eating, he noticed Gohan and Videl’s anxiety, and sensed that Pan, despite her apparent cheeriness and playful quarreling with Uub, still was very nervous.  
“So, what have you decided to do, Pan?” Goku asked her, after finishing his most recent plate among a vast many.  
“I … don’t know, Grandpa,” Pan said. “I’m a little scared.”  
The little girl looked down, as if this revelation had made her ashamed.  
Uub placed his right hand on her left shoulder, and when Pan looked at him, he smiled.  
“I’m a bit scared too, Pan, but I’m not going to let that stop me,” Uub said. “I realize how much you may be surprised by some of the fighters here. I’m still amazed, myself. There’s no question that we need to be cautious, but I plan on doing my best to win even so.”  
Uub turned to Goku, as if he wanted his master to validate the sentiments. Uub had, after all, learned much as a result of his fight against Tidar.  
Goku responded by directly addressing Pan.  
“Your next fight is against the ‘other me’ from Universe 13,” Goku said. “You're not going to not let him win so easily, are you?”  
“I ...,” she began to say, with hesitation.  
“You always want to fight against me, so this is your chance now!” Goku said. “Think of it, Pan! You will be able to fight against someone who basically is the ‘jerk version’ of me!”  
Pan momentarily smiled at the thought, although her smile quickly faded after she made another consideration.  
“But, surely he can transform into a Super Saiyan! I could never beat that!” Pan said.  
Goku crossed his arms, considering the situation and thinking of various possibilities.  
“Well Pan, you have the potential to transform, too!” Goku said. “It could happen, if the conditions are right. Actually, you might even end up becoming a Super Saiyan the same way your dad did!”  
Gohan remembered very well the circumstances that enabled him to ascend to Super Saiyan for the first time. Unlike his father, whose Super Saiyan transformation had been unlocked on the battlefield in response to not only a need, but a natural psychological stress trigger resulting from Krillin’s death by Freeza’s actions, Gohan’s Super Saiyan transformation had resulted from a simulated psychological stress trigger.  
Decades ago in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, when Goku had been training Gohan in preparation for fighting Cell, Goku had told Gohan to focus his anger and apply the strength of that emotion to his overall power. He had told Gohan to think of Cell and all the horrors he had committed, but Gohan then reminded his father that he had never actually seen Cell.Goku then told Gohan to think of Freeza and the many horrors Gohan had seen him commit, and through this, and further training, Gohan was able to master the basic form of Super Saiyan.  
Perhaps it would be possible to train with Pan a little bit outside the arena, before her fight against Kakarotto.  
“It seems Goku’s advice might be helpful,” Videl said to Gohan. “Talk with Pan about this – I think it would be a good idea.”  
Gohan nodded and exchanged places at the table with Videl so he could be closer to his daughter and talk with her. He wanted her to understand that through properly harnessing her anger, it could indeed be possible for her to achieve the Super Saiyan transformation.  
Pan had already heard much of what Gohan was talking with her about – stories about his experiences, those of her grandfather, and even those of Vegeta. However, she felt as though she couldn’t fully relate to their stories of hardship, as she had grown up in a time of relative peace, just as her uncle Goten and Trunks had in the first seven years of their lives.  
However, she still listened well, as she felt motivated. If she wanted to respectably fight Kakarotto, or even win, she would need to become a Super Saiyan! She knew she must!  
While Gohan spoke with his daughter, Goku continued to eat his gargantuan meal with gusto. In fact, everyone else had almost finished their meal, but Goku, true to his traditions, had at least 10 more plates to finish.  
However, different priorities occupied Uub’s thoughts. He looked up in front of him, and his gaze briefly met Bra’s own. He was greatly captivated by her beauty, but her general behavior and disdain for fighting had always caused there to be a certain distance between them. Moreover, she was Vegeta’s daughter! Uub could not imagine himself daring to ask her out on a date, as per all the various things Vegeta might do in response. Also, the subjects she liked to talk about were not often of interest to Uub. In the end, Uub felt it to be a teen romance that was not meant to be, ... or was he merely making excuses for himself? He was, indeed, fairly shy.  
Yet, there was another person who intrigued him. Bra of Universe 16 was a girl of a very different sort, despite having the same mother and the same name. Uub began to look toward the group in the 16th Universe Balcony, and he especially focused on Bra. She had turned into a Super Saiyan when Pan had been killed, and her energy level seemed quite high. She was far beyond the power level of Bra from his own universe, and he loved it. He even thought to himself about how awesome it would be to fight against her, but they were on different sides of the tournament bracket ... to fight her, he would first need to defeat many opponents, as would she.  
He next would have to fight either Majin Buu of Universe 11 or South Kaioshin, Then, he would likely have to defeat Goku, his own master! Among the potential opponents he would face in the fifth round, there were many of significant capability and power who could become his challenger, including Vegeta of his own universe, Trunks of Universe 12, or Cell!  
While Uub thought of the prospects, Goku finally finished his meal! The Vargas then offered him dessert before the start of the next fight, which Goku had not been expecting!  
Right after the Vargas left to acquire the dessert, the announcement that Vegetto and Broly would fight amazed all in the 18th Universe Balcony. But Broly and Vegetto were not the only competitors whom Goku was interested in. He was scheduled to fight #17, and he was extremely eager to do so. When Trunks of Universe 12, years ago, had arrived in Universe 18, his alternate past, to warn Goku of the then-looming threat of the cyborgs, Goku had been enthused about the possibility of fighting them, despite all Trunks had said about what had been their vastly superior power. However, when Trunks had told him that his counterpart from Universe 12, his alternate future, had died of a heart disease and had not had the opportunity to fight the cyborgs himself, this had frustrated Goku, for he felt his counterpart had not had the opportunity to fight a war he deserved to fight.  
As a result of the progression of events that led to Cell achieving his perfect form and Gohan ultimately defeating Cell, Goku had never actually met #17, although this time, he would fight #17’s counterpart from Universe 14, face-to-face! Even though the difference in their abilities by now was quite extreme, Goku still knew he would have some fun.  
Then, in the third round, he was to face either Nappa or Freeza, two opponents he had defeated before, and whom he was eager to defeat again!  
And in the fourth round, he hoped to be able to fight without limitation or refraining from using his full power. Yes, the prospect that he would fight Uub was awesome for Goku, who was eager to use his true maximum capacity in battle.  
The dessert then arrived! As Goku was preparing for his next round of food, Trunks of Universe 12 approached the group from Universe 18. He wanted to eat with them and talk about the adventures they’d had, and to see how they’d progressed in life. Talking with them again itself was something his mother would love to hear about; the fact that the entire group of Universe 18 heartily welcomed him to their table and offered him a place to sit was even better.  
Videl left the seat she had been sitting in so that Trunks could sit between Gohan and Goku, and directly across from Vegeta. Videl then sat where Pan had been sitting and placed her on her lap. They talked of Trunks’ world, earnestly listening to the progress of reconstruction and becoming quite appreciative of the fact that #16 of Universe 12 had been a significant asset to those efforts. Trunks elaborated upon how he’d found #16 in Dr. Gero’s Laboratory and then repaired him with Bulma’s help, causing Gohan to reminisce about #16 from his own universe.  
Gohan would have liked to have talked with Trunks about Majin Buu and Babidi, especially with regard to whether the duo had ever threatened the Earth of Trunks’ universe. However, he knew there was not much time until the tournament was to resume, and he anticipated that Trunks might have a lengthy story to tell. He therefore refrained from asking Trunks about this crucial issue, although he intended to eventually ask him.  
Trunks soon realized, as a result of interacting with the group, that his father of Universe 18 had come to possess a noticeably different personality than had been the case in the time period of the battles against the cyborgs and Cell. Right before Trunks had left Universe 18 following the Cell Games, in fact, he had noticed that his father’s personality had slightly changed. But now, the difference was unmistakable.  
However, while Trunks found Vegeta’s evolved outlook on life to be of great interest, he in no way planned to refrain from demonstrating his full power against his father because of it. Unlike in their struggles with Cell right after he had achieved his perfect form, Trunks in no way wanted to refrain from showing his father his full power in their upcoming fight during the tournament’s second round. Besides, Vegeta would not want Trunks to show restraint.  
Trunks also was intrigued by the fact that Tapion was present in the tournament. Tapion’s sword seemed to be of remarkable craftsmanship, and Trunks was fascinated by the possibility of having a sword duel with a warrior of such honor ... He also was envious of Kulilin, for he would have the opportunity to face Tapion in the next round.On a serious note, Trunks also wanted to talk about the issue of Broly’s potential unleashing upon the tournament. However, before he could refer to the subject, his counterpart from Universe 16 and Goten of that universe arrived at the small wall barrier between the 17th and 18th Universe Balconies.  
Even though Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 were still standing within the 17th Universe Balcony, they were seemingly ignoring the presences of Cell and his Junior, whose gazes reflected their contempt of the Saiyans’ sudden intrusion.  
Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 focused on their friends in the 18th Universe Balcony and enthusiastically waved hello to them before asking for permission to enter.  
“Yo, can we join the party?” Trunks of Universe 16 asked.  
“Another meeting of the Trunks trio! Yeah, come on in!” said Trunks of Universe 18.  
The two Saiyans then jumped over the wall and landed in the 18th Universe Balcony. Had they stayed even a few moments longer in his balcony, Cell had been planning to throw them over the wall himself, although their promptness had spared them that confrontation.  
As Trunks of Universe 16 walked closer to the group, Trunks of Universe 12 laughed to himself. He had never imagined before the start of the Multiverse Tournament that he would meet two other versions of himself from other universes while they were all the same age. It was true that because of his time travel adventures, he had already technically met both Trunks from Universe 16 and Trunks from Universe 18 when they had been younger than two years old, although for all three of them to be the same age and able to talk with each other was astounding. Of course, this was the second time since the start of the tournament in which the three of them had talked with each other and been in the same universe balcony, but Trunks of Universe 12 still found the experience to be quite surreal.  
“So, did you guys enjoy lunch?” Goten of Universe 18 asked.  
“No, actually,” Goten of Universe 16 said. “Vegetto ate just about everything!”  
“We had a bit to eat, but you could say that we’re still hungry,” Trunks of Universe 16 said.  
“Do you have any leftovers?” Goten of Universe 16 asked.  
“Just a bit of dessert left, but sorry, no other food,” Goku said. “Gosh, he really ate almost everything?”  
“Kakarotto, how the Hell are you surprised by this?” Vegeta asked.  
“Well, since he’s the two of you together, he quite often eats more than even you could possibly imagine,” Trunks of Universe 16 said. “Yeah, he ate the overwhelming majority of the three or four courses we were served.”“In fact, I think there was some food that might have come to our table and most of us just didn’t realize it,” Goten of Universe 16 said.  
“The food from our table appeared to be disappearing way faster than we were eating it,” Trunks said.  
“Wow, I had no idea that once we merged, we’d have so much of an appetite!” Goku said.  
“Actually, speaking of that, ... could you all tell me more about fusion?” Trunks asked.  
All who were present from Universes 18 and 16 quickly redirected their attention toward him. It was true that he did not know this concept well, although through logical deduction, he had begun to suspect that there was a connection among Goku, Vegeta, and Vegetto.  
“We could do more than tell you,” Goten of Universe 18 said.  
“Yeah, we could show you if you want!” Goten of Universe 16 said.  
Trunks of Universe 18 and Trunks of Universe 16 agreed.  
“Let’s go outside the arena so we can show you,” Trunks of Universe 18 said, as he rose from the table, ready to depart. “You’ll see how awesome it is!”  
“Wait just a minute,” Trunks of Universe 16 said, while trying to carefully carry as many cakes as he possibly could, so he could feast on them later. “And, ... okay. I’m ready.”  
“So am I!” said Goten of Universe 16, who also was carrying loads of cake.  
Trunks of Universe 12 felt obligated to follow, although he would have preferred having the opportunity to discuss the imminent threat of Broly.  
With their cakes secured, Trunks and Goten of Universe 16 flew upward, quickly followed by Trunks and Goten of Universe 18.  
Trunks of Universe 12 then departed as well, waving a quick goodbye to all who remained in the 18th Universe Balcony.

The five “friends,” once outside the arena, flew far away so they would not be readily seen by anyone else. Once out-of-sight, Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 began to explain the principles of fusion to Trunks of Universe 12.  
“My dad, Goku, taught us fusion so that we could fight Majin Buu,” Goten of Universe 18 said.  
“Are you referring to your universe’s counterpart of the fighter from Universe 11?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked.  
“At the beginning, yes,” Trunks of Universe 18 said. “However, we soon had to fight another version of Buu who looked like the one from Universe 4.”  
“The principle of fusion is that two fighters join their powers and abilities together, becoming an even more capable warrior!” Goten of Universe 16 said. “The result is amazing!”  
“While our dads used magical earrings to fuse and become Vegetto, we’ve fused many times using a different method,” Trunks of Universe 16 said. “We’ll show you it right now!”  
“Yeah!” shouted his counterpart from Universe 18.  
Suddenly, however, Goten of Universe 18 realized that it would be tactically inadvisable to fuse at that moment.  
“Wait!” he said, to the others’ surprise. “Unlike Vegetto, our fusion lasts only 30 minutes, but it takes 30 more before we can fuse again. We’re going to need all the time we can get if Broly wakes up and attacks us! Sorry, man. We're going to have to refrain from showing you our fusion right now.”  
“Hey, it’s no problem,” Trunks of Universe 12 said. “I understand.”  
“My dad will take care of Broly; don’t you worry,” Trunks of Universe 16 said, while Trunks of Universe 12 became amazed by the boldness and confidence of the assertion.  
“I’d still rather not take a risk by fusing now,” Goten of Universe 18 said. “However, we could still do the moves!”  
“Movements?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked.  
“Yes! The fusion technique we use is a dance!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.  
“A ... dance?” Trunks of Universe 12 asked, with significant disbelief.  
“Yeah, it’s called the Fusion Dance!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.  
“At first, after we saw the motions, we thought the idea was stupid and that it sucked,” Goten of Universe 18 said. “After a while, though, we gave it a chance and it turned out to be great!”  
Trunks and Goten of Universe 18 then began to demonstrate the Fusion Dance, starting from the initial position and slowly displaying the motions, all while Trunks of Universe 12 stared at them with astonishment.  
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Trunks of Universe 12 said. “Is this some sort of a joke?”  
After having seen that demo, he very much hoped it was.  
“No man, it really works!” Trunks of Universe 18 said.  
‘Damn, I’m glad I’ve avoided the embarrassment of having to dance to become stronger,’ Trunks thought to himself, amazed that such a technique could exist and that two alternate versions of himself had actually agreed to perform it.  
“Dude, you should totally try it out!” Trunks of Universe 16 said.  
“Yeah, try it with me!” Goten of Universe 16 said.  
Trunks of Universe 12 nervously smiled while thinking of a way to get out of this.  
“Well, ... uh, ... I’ve got #16 waiting for me back at the arena, so I’d better get back there!” Trunks said, as he attempted to fly away from his counterparts and the two Gotens.  
However, he quickly saw the two Gotens appear in front of him, and as he looked behind him, he saw his two counterparts.  
Each Goten had a rather ridiculous grin on his face, and it became clear to Trunks of Universe 12 that the four of them weren’t going to let him leave unless he partook in the festivities.  
After accepting the fact that he was going to be participating in the charade, he became uptight with a feeling of humiliation, although he chuckled for a moment upon seeing Trunks of Universe 16 scarf down one of the cakes he’d brought with him in what appeared to be five bites.  
Trunks of Universe 12 followed for many minutes the movements of his counterparts and the Gotens, all to learn a dance that seemed beyond absurd and which, had his “friends” not insisted it to be an actual technique, he would have regarded merely as a ridiculous joke.  
When they finally decided to stop, Trunks of Universe 12 felt in the mood to destroy something. While he knew this was an overly aggressive response to what had happened, he decided to resolve the feeling by punching Freeza in the face upon the next available opportunity.  
As they were flying back to the arena, Trunks of Universe 12 then asked his counterparts and the Gotens a key question.  
“Is is true that you all fought Broly?” he asked.  
“Good times,” Goten of Universe 16 sarcastically said.  
“We’ll tell you all about it,” Trunks of Universe 18 said, before beginning his stories.


	2. Vegetto vs. Broly

The five warriors returned to the arena quite soon before the next match was about to start. Almost as soon as they had arrived, a few Vargas asked them to return to their respective balconies for the start of the second half of the first round.  
Trunks of Universe 12 then bid farewell to his “friends,” although he was looking forward to further opportunities to talk with them, hopefully with no further dancing involved.While flying back toward the 12th Universe Balcony, he noticed that in the 19th Universe Balcony, men in armor were united in prayer, making a last tribute to Tidar, the warrior who had been killed by Uub. The nano-warriors of Helior hoped that the Vargas would keep their word that Tidar would be resurrected at the end of the tournament.

While Tidar’s loss had been a dire one, they did not want to lose even more of their fellow warriors in the upcoming fights.  
In the 20th Universe Balcony, Namekians and Vargas were approaching the block of ice that had remarkably not melted much since it had been placed in the balcony. One of the Namekians put his right hand on the surface of the ice block, and at the request of a Varga, he began to thaw Broly ...  
It was a risky move, indeed, especially because the tournament’s hosts were about to risk the lives of many participants and spectators, all so the Legendary Super Saiyan could fight.  
Suddenly, the tension heightened among all from Universe 18. Those among them who had faced Broly in combat were especially on-guard, as they remembered, with great clarity, the horrors and tribulations of battling him.  
A few days before the Cell Games...  
Gohan woke up early for what was to be a day of rest and relaxation.  
He was eager to go to the outdoor barbecue and karaoke fest that had been scheduled for later that day, in which he and his friends were to have fun times at a park.  
He energetically got up out of bed and stretched for a few seconds, then clenched his fists. A golden aura suddenly formed around him, accompanied by changes in the colors of his hair and eyes. Then, after loosening his fists, the aura dissipated, although his hair and eyes retained the colors characteristic of his Full-Power Super Saiyan state. Through transforming into a Full-Power Super Saiyan, he was upholding his father’s recommendation to maintain the form throughout the day, and to relinquish it only for periods of sleep.  
Now that he felt further invigorated for the day, he showered and then put on the set of clothes that Piccolo had offered him, which were of the appearance of the attire that Piccolo had traditionally worn.  
He then went to join the rest of the group, and among those who were planning to attend the gathering were Bulma, Kulilin, Yamcha, Piccolo, Oolong, Kame Sennin, Trunks, and Vegeta.  
Gohan did not sing much, and he knew that others likely would do so instead. Fortunately, the day was a quite beautiful one. However, it was unfortunate that his parents had left home even earlier than he had that day for the purpose of enrolling him in a reputable school, of which he had already forgotten the name. However, at the moment, Gohan did not consider anything related to school a priority, because if Cell proved victorious in a few days at the Cell Games, nothing else would matter.  
After Gohan arrived at the park, he didn’t immediately see Vegeta, who had recently emerged from his second day of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. As for Piccolo, he was standing a few meters away from the rest of the group, as usual. Kulilin, Yamcha, and Muten Roshi were preparing a small stage for the karaoke fun, and Bulma’s father, accompanied by his wife, approached them with a microphone in hand.  
The event was part of a broader festival that was being held in honor of the arrival of spring, and the festival’s name – Hanami – literally meant “Flower Viewing.” Occasionally, just as Gohan and his friends were doing now, families and friends gathered under the park’s cherry blossom trees for picnics in celebration of the season. Even now, Gohan saw a few pink petals slowly falling from the cherry blossom trees under the influence of a gentle breeze. Spring, which usually was symbolically associated with renewal and rebirth, had a special connotation for this particular year, Age 767. They would fight with all their might at the Cell Games, and if they won the day, there would be a new era of peace on Earth, with Cell’s reign of terror defeated at last and the ways of true warriors upheld. If they failed, then this would be the last spring of peaceful renewal, as chaos and destruction would otherwise befall the planet. With the Cell Games ominously approaching, this picnic was one of the last opportunities the warriors of Earth and their friends would have to meet before the start of the tournament.  
While many of the warriors had indeed gathered for the picnic, Tenshinhan and Chaotzu had declined the invitation. It was true that they generally avoided crowded areas and often decided to not mingle with the small group of friends. However, Gohan hoped that Dende would be able to later join them for the festivities, even though the new guardian of Earth had been hesitant to do so, as he wanted to properly fulfill his guardianship roles.  
After greetings amongst each other, the warriors and friends talked about many pleasant things. They all avoided talking about Cell, as the purpose of this occasion was to relax.  
At last, the moment for karaoke had arrived. Yamcha was the first to walk onto the karaoke stage to sing, and Bulma hurried to get Vegeta, who had decided to come to the park but had isolated himself from the group. As Yamcha started singing, almost everyone sat down to listen. To the pleasant surprise of most in the group, Yamcha was not a bad singer. After the conclusion of his song, Yamcha hopped off the stage and handed the microphone to Kulilin. Before Kulilin began singing, Bulma returned with Vegeta, although she had not been able to convince him to readily associate with everyone else. She felt it was enough that at least now he was just a few meters away, and she left him alone as he leaned against a nearby tree. Bulma then sat on the grass near the stage, while holding the young baby Trunks in her arms. Her son from the future was not far away, standing like his father, although close to the rest of the group.Kulilin then began to sing, and while all who were listening to him regarded his song as a dissonant mess, many among them felt that hearing him sing was at least somewhat amusing. Gohan then looked toward Vegeta, who, upon having heard Kulilin’s singing, looked as though he was in the mood to kill.  
“Vegeta! Come on over here and sit with us!” Gohan yelled to the Saiyan Prince. “Enjoy the party!”  
The father of Trunks, however, was not there for fun. He considered Gohan’s words to have been reflective of naivety, and their overall tone and manner had reminded Vegeta of Kakarotto’s foolishness, which annoyed him further.  
“I left the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and what do I see? Kakarotto and his son having a good time!” Vegeta condescendingly said. “Instead of wasting your time here, you should be spending a second day in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, training to defeat that arrogant freak!”  
Vegeta knew very well that Gohan and his father had achieved the ability to retain their Super Saiyan forms in a constant manner even when not in combat, although he still did not feel this alone would be enough to defeat Cell. He was still aggravated that he had not discovered the secret to maintaining the form as they had, but he was attempting to conceal as best as possible his frustration over that particular fact.  
“Don’t worry, Vegeta. We still have many days before the Cell Games!” Gohan said.  
At least, his father had told him to not worry. Gohan, while skeptical of how his father could be so relaxed in these dire days, still placed his trust in his father’s judgment.  
Unfortunately, though, they were about to become aware of another significant threat, one that in many ways was more menacing than Cell!  
While Kulilin’s song was coming to an end, a huge acorn-shaped spaceship suddenly landed close by, under the deafening thunder of powerful engines.  
Upon seeing the spaceship, Gohan had stood up and entered a fighting stance. Piccolo soon landed near the group, and Kulilin dropped the microphone. Bulma stepped back and stood behind her future son, Trunks, who had traveled back in time from what one day would be referred to as Universe 12. She felt confident that her son from the future would be able to protect her and her baby.  
As the engines of the spaceship quieted, a metallic ramp extended from the ship and soon touched the ground. Moments later, dozens of armored soldiers moved briskly down the ramp and surrounded the group, while directing their attention primarily toward Vegeta.  
Upon sensing something unusual, Son Goku used his Instant Transmission technique and suddenly appeared about a meter to the right of Gohan. Without a word, they waited for the soldiers to make a move.  
However, before the soldiers took further action, Vegeta and the others noticed another figure emerge from the spaceship and walk down the ramp. As the man approached, he carefully watched those who had gathered, especially Goku, Gohan, Trunks, and Piccolo.  
After arriving within one meter of Vegeta, the man, to the extreme surprise of the warriors and friends, then bowed to Vegeta, with the soldiers then doing so as well!  
Vegeta resultantly became even more curious about the man’s identity, and he recognized that the man in charge of the soldiers was wearing armor reminiscent of that worn by some members of Frieza’s forces. The armor was, however, somewhat different. It was colored mostly green, although the breastplate was red. The shoulder pads were not as large as those that had been typical of Frieza’s forces, and they just covered the shoulders, as opposed to extending well beyond them. Attached to his armor was a flowing white cape, which indeed suggested to Vegeta that this individual was a person of notable status.  
A grin formed on Vegeta’s lips, as he had been significantly flattered by this sign of respect. It had been many years since he had seen anyone show such respect to him, and based on the man’s appearance, Vegeta, to his great delight, deduced that the man had bowed to him through recognizing his status as the Prince of Saiyans.  
Moments later, the man began to speak.  
He introduced himself as Paragus, a Saiyan who was one of the last survivors of the massacre perpetrated by the tyrant Frieza. Paragus continued his monologue and told them of Planet New Vegeta, which he had established as a base upon which to revive the Saiyan Empire.  
“Your Majesty, as you are the prince of our people, I would be humbled for you to come with me to Planet New Vegeta so that you can truly begin your rightful reign as king,” Paragus said.  
“That doesn’t interest me,” Vegeta dryly replied, before turning away from Paragus.  
Paragus was quite surprised by this response, to say the least. He had been convinced that Vegeta would have been eager to accept the offer. While rising, he decided to reveal to Vegeta another – far more important – factor as to why he had come to Earth.  
“Your majesty, I had been planning to tell you this later, but it seems you will benefit from becoming aware of this now ... the Legendary Super Saiyan has appeared!”  
Vegeta instantly became shocked at the revelation.  
He turned toward Paragus, eager to hear more.  
“He has already destroyed many planets and annihilated entire solar systems,” Paragus said. “Soon, he might come to destroy Earth, or Planet New Vegeta!”  
Upon hearing these words, Vegeta became far more intrigued. Paragus likely was older than Nappa would have been by this time, and the scar on his left eye enhanced his overall sense of charisma. However, Vegeta perceived that Paragus had no realistic capacity of becoming a true king, and even less capacity to overcome the Legendary Super Saiyan himself. But Vegeta knew that he, himself, could rise to the occasion. The Legendary Super Saiyan, in Vegeta’s mind, would be no match for the Prince of All Saiyans! Especially with the heightened powers he had acquired as a result of training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, he would vanquish this legendary warrior and claim his rightful status as king!  
Vegeta had indeed been familiar with the legend, a legend that according to Paragus had been true. About once every 1,000 years, a Saiyan among many was born with extreme capability. With immeasurable power and an unquenchable thirst for destruction, the Legendary Super Saiyan was a living incarnation of the essences of violence and fighting. It was largely out of a fear that the legend could be true that Frieza had chosen to eradicate the Saiyan race, but it seemed that the Legendary Super Saiyan had survived even so. Vegeta had for many years hoped that he would emerge as the true Legendary Super Saiyan, and he had at one point on Planet Namek been dismayed that Kakarotto could have been the warrior of legend instead. However, both he and Kakarotto had managed to become Super Saiyans in their own right, and as far as Vegeta knew, the Legendary Super Saiyan was one reflective of his own caliber, and one whom Vegeta was worthy to challenge in combat.  
Despite Son Goku’s protests, Vegeta agreed to travel with Paragus.  
“Vegeta, the Cell Games are going to be held in just a few days!” Goku said. “We can’t leave Earth right now!”  
“I don’t take orders from you!” Vegeta yelled, without even looking at his rival. “You’re spending your time foolishly by not training, and I want to do something worthwhile with my time. I’ll be back before the Cell Games begin so I can crush that fool with my own two hands, but right now, I have yet another opponent to vanquish. Kakarotto, by defeating the Legendary Super Saiyan, I will show you how much better I am than you!”  
Because of Vegeta’s determination and in wanting to prevent anything of dire consequence from happening to him, all of the warriors who were present decided to go with him. Paragus could not prevent them from boarding the ship, and Vegeta had detested the idea. After all, it was he, and no one else, whom had been asked for help! He did not need anyone’s help to defeat the Legendary Super Saiyan! But after considering the fact that Kakarotto could in fact use his Instant Transmission technique to ensure that everyone would return to Earth in time for the start of the Cell Games, Vegeta begrudgingly let them accompany him.  
Muten Roshi and Oolong decided to join the group as well. Roshi was relatively unconcerned about what might happen. The trip did not appeal much to Oolong, but as his friends were quite strong, he hoped that everything would be fine...

The trip did not last long and they arrived without difficulty on Planet New Vegeta. The landscape did not seem particularly exceptional, although a palace was situated atop a cliff.  
Upon seeing them arrive, dozens of men shouted, "Long live King Vegeta!"  
Paragus did not hesitate to refer to these soldiers as relatively worthless when Vegeta asked who these people were who seemed so proud to serve. It was indeed clear that these soldiers were not Saiyans, and Vegeta wondered exactly how Paragus had managed to compel these soldiers to pledge allegiance to the new Saiyan Empire.  
Paragus then introduced Vegeta to his son, Broli, who also was a warrior in his service. Vegeta was pleased to learn that Broli was indeed a Saiyan, although upon more clearly sensing his power level, he found it to be dismally low.  
While Vegeta traveled to many star systems with Paragus and Broli, all in an effort to locate the Legendary Super Saiyan, Gohan visited the lands outside the immediate vicinity of the palace grounds with Yamcha, Trunks, and Kulilin.  
They discovered a landscape devastated by war, with cities in ruins and a people who had been enslaved after having been confronted by the Legendary Super Saiyan.  
In addition to this unexpected development, Paragus was confronted with yet another unforeseen problem. Goku’s mere presence was making Broli unstable, and even uncontrollable via the mind-control device that Paragus had attached to his head.  
It seemed that Broli had been deeply perturbed by Goku’s crying while they had been in the same nursery soon after they had been born, and the memory of that experience, recalled upon seeing Goku, seemed to have served as a trigger of Broli’s madness. Goku’s mere presence was making Broli practically uncontrollable!  
For years, Paragus had controlled his son with a remote control on his right wrist that sent signals to the mind-control device on Broli’s head. Paragus could use the device to manipulate Broli’s power as he saw fit. He had needed to do this to protect himself from what had been his son’s madness, which had been the cause of Paragus’ loss of his left eye.  
With this equipment, Paragus had become the undisputed master of the universe. He needed his son, who was by far the strongest warrior he had ever seen. Indeed, from a young age, Broli had been endowed with supernatural strength, with a thirst for widespread destruction.  
The reunion between Broli and Goku, however, was changing the dynamic of Paragus’ control. Broli’s destructive tendencies, emblematic of his status as the true Legendary Super Saiyan, were resisting Paragus’ devices. Paragus realized that if Broli awoke completely, all his efforts to exact revenge would be in vain! He needed just a little more time...the comet was due to hit the planet soon, and Paragus planned to have it lead to Vegeta’s death, all in vengeance against the former King Vegeta, who had tried to kill him and Broli out of fear for what he was and what he might become.  
However, after the attempt to kill them, Broli was able to awaken the latent power within him to protect him and his father from Planet Vegeta’s destruction.  
Paragus was looking forward to achieving his revenge, but his activities had indeed aroused suspicion.  
Despite providing his guests with rather good hospitality, including fine food, Piccolo had decided to keep a close watch over Paragus.  
Also, in the midst of one evening, Broli had come into contact with Goku while he had been talking with Piccolo. Piccolo had noticed that when the two Saiyans’ eyes had met, Broli’s demeanor seemed to drastically change. It seemed as if he was being repressed in some way, although the repression did not last long.  
He attacked Goku!  
Goku soon understood, as a result of fighting Broli, that Broli was indeed the Legendary Super Saiyan whom Vegeta had been looking for. Goku realized that Broli’s strength was remarkable, and Piccolo also understood through observing the duel that Paragus had been trying to deceive them.  
The next day, a few hours before the comet was to hit the planet, Goku and Piccolo informed the others of what they had discovered. Vegeta, however, did not believe them.  
'Why is it that Broli would be interested in Kakarotto..?’ he thought to himself.  
As he, too, had been suspicious of Paragus’ activities, Gohan decided to tell his father and others about the rest of the planet, including the savagery committed against the enslaved race of people. After hearing yet another claim of suspicious activity, Vegeta summoned Paragus and demanded an explanation.  
As he determined that his insidious activities had in fact been recognized, Paragus confessed the truth of his plans and intentions. Paragus revealed that he had been planning to make the Earth, a jewel of the cosmos, the capital of his new empire, and that Planet New Vegeta had never been intended to be a new home for the Saiyan race. He said that he had attracted everyone to Planet New Vegeta because it was doomed to be destroyed, and that with their deaths, and especially Vegeta’s death, his vengeance would be complete and his new empire would be able to flourish.  
He confirmed Broli’s status as the true Legendary Super Saiyan, and then mocked Vegeta, saying that with Broli at his side, no one would be able to oppose his new empire. However, Broli, upon seeing Goku again, began to march aggressively toward him. His blood was flowing all the more quickly through his body, and he was exuding a paramount rage.  
As he approached Goku, Broli began to mutter unintelligible words. Paragus, despite his efforts, was finding his control over Broli to be woefully ineffective.  
Broli then began to repeatedly shout “Kakarotto!” while his power augmented further and further. A bright golden aura suddenly surrounded him, and although Vegeta tried to attack him with a kick and then an energy blast, Vegeta, to his great alarm, saw that his attacks had not fazed Broli.  
Broli’s anger was increasing by the moment, and his hair was pointed straight, with a dark purple coloration. With his golden aura cascading around him, the warriors of Earth recognized that while his hair had not turned gold, Broli was indeed in his Super Saiyan form, with his hair likely discolored because of the mind-control device.  
Soon, however, despite the device, Broli let himself become overwhelmed by his strength, which caused the device to finally shatter. Now free of his father’s control, Broli’s appearance began to drastically change. After a significant expansion of his muscles, and radiant waves of energy, Broli’s Legendary Super Saiyan form was unveiled.  
Faced with such destructive power, Vegeta became ineffably dismayed. He was enthralled by the sensation that all was lost, as the power radiating from the unleashed legend seemed insurmountable...Broly was born with amazing strength. With ten thousand units of power, he was born with a power well above the vast majority of beings in the universe. As a child, Broly was already using this power for selfish reasons. He did whatever he wanted and he got everything he wanted. No one could control him. No one could beat him.  
Even during his adolescence, his incredible power lead him to want more. To destroy more. He continued to increase his strength as he destroyed people, planets, and even suns. All it took was for him to have the desire to murder something and it would explode in a second. Throughout all this, he had always wanted something. It all lacked something that he unconsciously sought for.  
Broly could have been a hero, had he used his powers to help those in need. However, he became a terrifying monster that came to be feared throughout the galaxy. He became known as the Destroyer of Worlds. His father was the only one who could still have any influence on him. Until he betrayed his son by taking control of him.  
Even under his father's control, within the depths of his being, Broly kept a fierce rage that continued to grow with each passing minute he spent as a slave to his father, Paragus's will. The one person he thought had loved him was now keeping him a prisoner.  
In the depths of his being, a memory hidden for decades resurfaced and with it awoke a great rage. A memory of... A face? A voice? A cry? Of someone named... Kakarotto.  
Nothing would stop him. No prison, no bonds regardless of their strength, would stop him. KAKAROTTO. This is what he had sought for his whole life. This ultimate desire that began to dominate his entire being. KAKAROTTO. He wanted to kill. To destroy, to annihilate this miserable being that stood before him, annoying him.  
Broly lost himself completely in his insatiable rage. What little mind he had left, drowned in the depths of his incredible fury. To annihilate Kakarotto... he would use all of his strength, all of his anger, all of his madness!Broly changed completely. When they had first met, Vegeta and the others had noticed his large size and musculature differed from the other warriors Paragus had recruited. Now that he had transformed into the Legendary Super Saiyan, his muscles had tripled in size and he looked more like a giant with his huge white eyes hungry for destruction. As for his strength, his ki already equaled that of Son Goku as a Super Saiyan. But it continued to steadily increase with every passing second. Son Goku and Vegeta had no idea that the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan would be so great.  
"He really is the legend... This power... it's the legendary power that will never be equaled. Everything is lost ... His power is beyond our understanding .... He'll destroy us all!" thought that Vegeta lost all desire to fight.  
Broly charged Goku, who dodged easily. Broly may be more powerful, but because of his musculature, his agility was reduced. Dodging several punches and kicks, Goku distanced himself from Broly by flying away. Goku was joined by his son, Gohan and Trunks who was quick to realize just how dangerous their opponent really was. A sadistic smile formed on Broly's lips.From his hand Broly produced a ball of green energy that dropped to the trio. The attack then divided into a multitude of Kikoha that swept across them, forcing them to keep dodging as quickly as they could.  
The explosions that followed startled the Earthlings who were still in the palace. Curious and frightened, Yamcha and Kulilin quickly peeked out from a window to see the devastation caused by Broly. They could see that Son Goku was already fighting against him, but he seemed overwhelmed by the giant he was facing.  
It was obvious that the humans were no match. "Don't tell me you want to go there?" Yamcha thought to himself. But when Kulilin, who was concerned for his friends, flew closer to the scene of the battle, the former desert bandit decided to follow him, but not without grumbling a bit. As he set one foot on the edge of the window, he saw several of Paragus's soldiers who watching what was happening with disbelief.  
Yamcha descended from the air near the group of soldiers. He heard snatches of conversation. Did these guys work for Paragus without really knowing what his intentions were. Or did they have that much faith in him? Was it their intention to conquer the universe with this army?  
One thing Yamcha was certain about was that they weren't very strong. He could take them all down himself. As they continued to look at the destroyed landscape, Yamcha approached one of them who seemed to have a higher rank than the others, and said,  
"You guys should get out of here, quick. This place is dangerous."  
"We don't take orders from you, Earthman. We serve Paragus."  
"You won't serve anyone if you're dead. This castle can be shattered in an instant."  
Yamcha tried to remain calm as explosions echoed from a few kilometers away him. Goku was really fighting against someone who has such immense power...  
"Listen," Yamcha replied shaking his fist "take your ship and get out of here!"  
He flew off immediately following this sentence. He had no time left to lose. Could he really save a few hundred lives like this? He hoped they would all come together to one big ship in the world. Several hundred meters away, Son Gohan fought passionately with all of his might. This was his first fight of this level against anyone other than his father. At first he thought it would be a great opportunity to face a Super Saiyan other than his father. He would get to see a different style of fighting. He thought it would be great for preparing him for Cell's tournament in a few days.  
Unfortunately, Broly was not the type to develop techniques. His fighting style consisted of pure brutality... And as time passed, his brutality and strength continued to increase. The Legendary Super Saiyan loved every second he spent beating down Goku and the others, he laughed maniacally the entire time. Stray balls of his green energy destroyed the already damaged landscape even more, but he didn't care. In fact, he felt a sadistic joy in destroying everything around him, and spreading terror into everyone's hearts. Not only had his transformation into the Legendary Super Saiyan increased his strength, but it increased the madness that was already within him as well.  
Piccolo knew he had to end this battle quickly. Despite the fact that three Super Saiyans were against him, Broly obviously had the upper hand. He had focused on Goku and the other two since the beginning of the battle. Piccolo decided to use his secret weapon. He had already used it several times before and it had proven to be effective even against enemies much more powerful than him. It was the technique he had used to kill Raditz, Goku's older brother...  
Charging his energy to its maximum, Piccolo fired the Makankosappo at Broly, knocking him back. The spiral of light pushed Broly back a bit before exploding a few seconds later. It was a fierce blow... but it was completely ineffective!  
Piccolo and the others had to face the truth: Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan truly was invincible. Once the gray smoke from the explosion had cleared, he turned to face the insect that had dared to attack him from behind. Piccolo felt paralyzed as the most fearsome opponent he had ever faced rushed towards him smashing a mighty knee into his stomach. And as if that was not enough to satisfy the anger and madness of the colossus, he followed up with a barrage of blows at Piccolo.  
Gohan couldn't stand idly by, he had to protect his former teacher and mentor. Gohan rushed Broly, yelling, but his attacks were in vain. Broly sent Piccolo plummeting to the ground anyway and then turned and struck Gohan in the face. Broly intended to finish Gohan off with a powerful ball of green energy, when Goku intervened. The explosion was enormous, but Son Goku managed to survive it, but it left a hole in the back of his shirt. With his back still burning and Gohan in his arms, Goku fell to the ground.  
Broly still had one other insect to crush before finishing off Goku, his nemesis, the man who had disturbed him with his constant crying when they were both newborns. Trunks was still still standing, still at full strength. He had used this time to power up in the same way as he had done a few days earlier against Cell after he had achieved his perfect form. He knew very well that this form of Super Saiyan came at the cost of his speed. But right now, it was the power they needed. Broly smiled maliciously as he bombarded the son of Bulma and Vegeta with balls of green energy.  
Below them, Piccolo, Gohan and Goku were on the ground.  
"His power... is incredible..." Piccolo uttered, trembling slightly.  
Son Goku and his son said nothing. Gohan felt ashamed to have been a burden on his father, even after all the time he had spent training in the Room of Spirit and Time.  
"Damn that Vegeta! I can't believe how gutless he is! He's just standing there, with a blank look on his face instead of helping us!" Piccolo shouted in frustration.  
"Leave him alone Piccolo" Goku interrupted. "If he doesn't want to fight, then that's his problem. But if we don't stop this guy... the entire universe will be in danger!"  
Turning away to face Broly again, Goku flew back up to rejoin the fight. Gohan looked up at Piccolo before following his father... Even at his full power, Trunks was no match for the Legendary Super Saiyan. Piccolo, who could not bear to see Vegeta who was usually so proud of what he was, give up without even putting up a fight. He went to where Vegeta stood, grabbing him by the hair with the intention of giving him a lecture.  
The Vegeta he knew would never allow himself to be insulted like this. Ever! But he simply remained motionless. His eyes and face were devoid of any emotion, it was as if he had really given up on everything. He had absolutely no will to fight. Piccolo began to feel even more contempt for the Saiyan Prince than before if that was even possible.  
"You claim to be the Prince of the Saiyans... the greatest warrior in the universe? Yet you're nothing but a coward! If you had any pride at all then you'd stand up and fight!"  
"What for...?" Vegeta replied. "No one can stand up to the Legendary Super Saiyan. No one!"  
Piccolo was disgusted at Vegeta's words, he left to rejoin the fight, leaving Vegeta in his corner. But against Broly, Piccolo hardly made much of a difference... One after another, they were all beaten down.  
"Vegeta," Paragus said, from just behind the Saiyan Prince, who was on his knees, motionless. "You are right to stay here. No one can match the Legend Super Saiyan. You know this. You can feel it. Broly is far stronger than all of us. Unlike your friends, you're a good judge of your opponent. You can see that Broly's power exceeds that of any mortal. I had kept his immense power restrained for a time, but that time is over. Broly has broken free from my control! Now nothing can prevent him from annihilating the entire universe!"  
Vegeta made no reply. He barely even listened. But Paragus continued anyway:  
"You look so much like your father.... You cannot even imagine how much I hated him... I served him for years... and what did I get in return? I was sentenced to death because I dared ask him to spare the life of my only son. Then he tried to kill me and Broly all because he was too great a threat to his rule. We were thrown out like trash and left to die... Of course, as fate would have it, Frieza would destroy our planet that very same day. And that's when Broly's power awakened, he saved us both from planet Vegeta's explosion. It was then that I realized that my own son was the Legendary Super Saiyan! I swore then and there that I would have revenge for the pain and humiliation we had endured at the hands of your father!"  
A few seconds passed. Vegeta was still motionless, but many thoughts passed through his head. As Paragus went on and on, Vegeta stood, still staring at the others fighting Broly with a dumbfounded look on his face.  
Just as Broly seemed to be about to finish off Goku, Vegeta's rival and nemesis, Vegeta finally intervened striking under Broly's chin with his fist and following up with a kick to his neck. He had finally come to a conclusion. Kakarotto and the others, they were all inferior to him, yet they dared to fight against an invincible opponent when he, had given up without a fight. Vegeta couldn't stand for that! He'd rather be killed by the Legendary Super Saiyan! Royal blood flowed through his veins, there was no way he'd go down without a fight!  
Unfortunately, his punches had no effect, despite the great power of the Saiyan Prince. He had attempted to prove to everyone that he was not weak, that he was the mightiest warrior of them all... But all he had proved was that Broly was better than him... and so Vegeta was beaten down just like the others. Although he was exhausted, Goku alone, was still barely able to stand. He fearfully waited for the next attack... But Broly had his sights set on someone else... his own father.  
While everyone was busy fighting, Paragus was trying to escape the planet in a small space pod. He hoped that the comet that was approaching the planet would wipe them all out, including his son. He was useless to him now that he was out of his control.Paragus never left his capsule... Broly appeared before him suddenly with a sadistic smile.  
"You're going to leave without me, Father?" he asked with a psychotic look on his face.  
"N-no, of course not! I was preparing the ship so that we could both escape before the comet hits this planet!"  
Paragus hoped that the crazy side of Broly would believe such nonsense, but it wasn't the case. Broly crushed the space pod with his father still inside it, and hurled it with great force straight into the approaching blue comet...  
And then he turned around to face Son Goku...  
Broly had murdered his father in cold blood without any remorse. The destructive madness that had guided him hadn’t necessarily blinded his thoughts. He scrutinized Kakarotto and the other insects who served him as friends from afar and turned slightly to the right. Facing him, a few hundred meters on top of a small cliff, sat the only spacecraft that could bring everyone back. And behind him, stood Paragus’ castle. … Two things to destroy before annihilating the larvae just below him. Broly laughed as he destroyed the living area leading to the only exit, trapping Paragus’ poor soldiers inside.  
Taking advantage of these few minutes of respite, Yamcha, Kulilin, and Master Roshi (who was carrying Oolong under his arm) joined their friends… There was an air of great anxiety… The Saiyans and the Namek seemed beaten and were gasping for breath. The others didn’t know what to say… They were overwhelmed by the recent events. Suddenly, they all sensed Broly’s power increase even further. He screamed.  
“Goku!” Piccolo shouted. “He’s getting stronger! We have to finish him now! Use the Genkidama! We’ll give you energy!"  
Trunks didn’t know of this technique, but he soon realized the principle behind it. Give energy to Goku to defeat Broly. Trunks was all for it!  
“Yeah, but… He needs to be distracted!” said Goku.  
He was right. He would never have time to prepare the technique if Broly was focused on him. Gohan said nothing, but he had an idea in mind. His father had repeatedly protected him… and now it was to Gohan to do his best to buy some time. His father counted on him!  
Vegeta was skeptical. He had suffered against the Genkidama the first time he had arrived on Earth, and it didn’t even kill him. Broly was much more powerful than him at the time, so why would it work this time? Yamcha remembered that the technique also failed against Freeza… But he preferred to give his energy rather than die against this monster named Broly.  
“We’re counting on you, Goku!” he said. “We’ll give you all of our energy!”  
“Wait, Yamcha,” Kulilin intervened. “It would do almost nothing. We’re not strong enough make a difference.”  
Unlike the Saiyans, their strength was rather weak. If they gave their energy to the Genkidama it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. On the other hand, they were capable of holding of Broly… for a few seconds. And that was already more useful.  
“Let’s try to buy a few seconds against Broly! Not with our strength, but with our heads!”Yamcha smiled nervously. But what was his friend saying? Was he suicidal? Had he lost his mind?  
“Alright,” he answered anyway.  
Yamcha might have been a coward sometimes, but he never let his friends down!  
Son Goku immediately began to prepare the Genkidama. Almost shouting his despair, he asked each energy form of life around them, even the planets and surrounding stars. Soon, the first wave of energy gathered over his head.  
Broly had already charged back to the fight. Gohan let his power explode, and a strong aura surrounded him. He was determined to do everything he could to help his father. Kulilin, next to him, wanted to help. Flying first, he went to face Broly, alone, for half a second… long enough to use the Taiyoken. Before it kicked in, Broly had enough time to release one of his energy attacks… Yamcha was quick as lightning, and he wouldn’t let Kulilin get killed like that! He tried to deflect the luminescent ball with a powerful ki attack, but the collision made them both explode. The blast enveloped Kulilin, who found himself ejected away, covered with burns and injuries… Unconscious but still alive. Yamcha regarded Broly, who was still blind.  
“Dammit! He’ll see me! I have to hide!”  
Son Gohan saw Kulilin get hurt and it was too much for him. He attacked immediately before Broly definitely regained his sight. Facing a blind Broly was an asset that he wanted to use. He punched hard, very hard… empowered by the anger and beginning to lose control. He couldn’t stand that Broly could feel so much sadistic pleasure in chaos and destruction.  
Piccolo raised his hands to the sky to give Son Goku his energy. Trunks did the same, right after Kulilin was rendered unconscious. Vegeta, however, didn’t want to share his power. To fight against Broly was one thing, but to link himself directly to the others… no! He was the Prince of Saiyans, it was his job to defeat the Legendary Super Saiyan, but he wasn’t strong enough to fight him alone. However, to help Goku was an even greater humiliation in his eyes. His rival once again would dispossess him of his glory! And that Son Gohan… he was fighting alone against Broly! He was emitting a powerful force… as if he was really convinced that he made the right choice. That he would succeed… his father would succeed. That was more like it. Gohan had faith in his father and that technique, and that was why he was engaged in this desperate attempt to restrain this monster.  
Vegeta had a choice. He could give up and become the others’ laughing stock if Broly was defeated… or help Gohan and be beaten again… or be directly involved in the technique that could beat the giant… or fail. Still not entirely convinced of his choice, he raised his hands to the heavens in turn, almost insulting Son Goku, the miserable low-level Saiyan who once again had ridiculed him.  
“Don’t you dare miss!”  
Vegeta’s strength was impressive, and Goku felt he would be ready soon. His son, on the other hand, was done. He had done what he could, but was almost beaten to death by the giant in front of him. He now had his head in the ground, crushed by Broly, who was about to deal the coup de grace.  
But luckily, Son Goku and his son had very good friends on whom they could rely . Among them, Yamcha. Though he was a womanizer, a joker, and a bit shy at times, he didn’t hesitate to help Gohan the same way he helped Kulilin. He fired his Sokidan from a distance so that Broly wouldn’t find him, and led his energy ball right at his head, which stopped him in his killing frenzy. The smoke cleared, and the Legendary Warrior sought the one who attacked him. Muten Roshi took advantage of the moment. With a kick in the butt, he sent Oolong into the fight!  
The pig, completely frightened and trembling, was forced to resort to the plan that the senile old man proposed: to metamorphose into Paragus.  
Not at all confident, he cried out loud, “Broly! How dare you kill me!”  
Broly, looking livid, took a few steps towards the transformed pig, who said that even though it was a bad idea. Once again, Muten Roshi took the opportunity to run full speed, and carried Gohan on his back an away from the battlefield. It was the best he could do…  
Broly was only two steps away from his phony father, who, after a sort of small explosion followed by white smoke dissipated in one second, transformed into t a pic. Behind him, Son Goku turned into a Super Saiyan. With the attack finally ready, he launched the Genkidama at Broly, shouting at Oolong to duck. Fortunately, the attack passed right over him, just a few centimeters. He thought for a moment that he was going to be a roast pig! Broly, surprised, couldn’t avoid the attack that pushed him so far back without any visible damage. He was pushed into the comet… which exploded on impact, with Broly caught between the two… As he lay, suspended in space for a moment, he remembered the crying Goku at his side when they were just mere babies.

It was over… Goku had succeeded!  
“Tsss,” said Vegeta, noting that Goku had finally pulled it off and that his son had taken the necessary time. He couldn’t stand the idea of always having to ally with the person he despised most in the world.  
Son Goku dismounted and sat down, panting. Muten Roshi joined him and Gohan lay beside his father. Yamcha helped Kulilin recover before joining everyone.  
“Thanks, Yamcha. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna face off against Broly. I heard you create a Sokidan, but I was too weak to see anything.”  
“Oh, you know, it wasn’t much, ha ha!”  
‘Well, to be honest,’ he thought, ‘it’s probably best not to mention the fact that I was hiding the entire time…’The planet was no longer in danger, so the heroes took a long rest… The ship was destroyed, so they had to wait for Goku to gather enough energy to teleport everyone to Earth. When Gohan regained consciousness, he was congratulated by his father. He had shown his guts… but that didn’t mean he had time to rest. The father asked his son to transform into a Super Saiyan again, as they had done so last week… because they couldn’t forget Cell, who was more formidable than Broly… Not by power, but through his diverse knowledge of fighting techniques.  
“Cell is much stronger than Broly,” Son Goku added to convince his friends Kulilin, who remained convinced that Dr. Gero’s creature was now just a pushover. “The tactics he’ll use are going to be far more deadly than anything Broly could dish out. And there are also the fighting techniques. Cell knows almost all of us and has a variety of techniques. Broly, with his fists and green energy balls, only had raw power that grew steadily.  
“Cell’s only weakness,” Piccolo went on to add, “is that he’s not invincible or immune to our attacks like Broly.”  
“Two entirely different fighters, with entirely different strengths… and different weaknesses….” Gohan whispered to himself.  
“Okay, I’ve rested enough. I can teleport us all to Earth. We deserve a day off!”  
Goku stood up, put two fingers to his forehead, and teleported everyone to Earth… Home at last.  
They all believed that Broly was actually defeated, and that all that remained for peace was to defeat Cell. But seven years later, the Legendary Super Saiyan returned… on Earth!

It was two weeks before the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament…  
It had been seven years since Goku died following the fight against Cell. Soon after his death, Chichi gave birth to a second son, Goten. When he heard that the tournament was approaching, Goku had promised his friends that he would return to Earth for one day. Gohan began to train his little brother for the occasion. But that day, Goten had another plan. Trunks had ‘borrowed’ the Dragon Radar from his mother. Basically, they wanted to ask Shenron who was going to win the famous tournament… but they soon found out that they had to change their plans. When they collected the sixth Dragon Ball, they agreed to ask for a private amusement park and a bunch of candy. …Goten and Trunks were like that. They were just children of seven and eight years who were continuously trying to have fun. Trunks was far from developing the maturity of his counterpart from the future seven years ago. Life was easy for him. He was spoiled by his mother and had inherited his father’s personality. Vegeta, who in this timeline had not been killed by the Androids, did not let his presence harden Trunks’ personality, as his other son’s personality had after Future Vegeta’s death. Rather, it was Bulma who had controlled her son’s education. Although she knew he was potentially very strong, she also saw him as the future CEO of Capsule Corporation. Fortunately, that didn’t stop Vegeta from training his son from time to time in the artificial high-gravity chamber. And it was not uncommon for Trunks to ditch and go play with Goten.  
The former would just have to train with his big brother in order to be able to fight his best friend Trunks as a reward. But seeing that Goten was absent from their training area, Gohan went off looking for him. He was with Videl in the morning, to train her too, but it was more necessary that Goten progressed. It wasn’t long since he had learned to fly and ki control was quite new to him, but he could do those both quite well. Gohan couldn’t sense his brother anywhere.  
The final Dragon Ball was trapped by two urchins at the bottom of the ocean. Trunks, who didn’t want to get wet, persuaded his young friend to go first. He was the oldest and Goten was a bit naïve, as Trunks often convinced him to do stuff in his place. Goten looked for a long time but it was too deep for him to see anything. He didn’t really want to dive back into the water, as it was a little too cold for his taste and because he could not hold his breath for too long. With an unhappy sigh, he asked Trunks to try for himself… The latter, not yet ready to dive into the icy water had no other idea than to throw a little of his ki into the water below him. The shockwave was enough to create a tsunami! But he completely missed the Dragon Ball…. And Goten took advantage of the opportunity to reprimand him. It was not often that Trunks was full of shit and that Goten could imagine himself superior to him.  
The tsunami woke up someone who had arrived on Earth shortly before… Broly slowly emerged from the waves, the water flowing over his thick muscles. At first a little disturbed, he tried to remember what had happened…  
When Kakarotto used his attack, Broly had struck the comet that had exploded immediately. Fortunately, the power of the Legendary Warrior kept him alive… but the explosion was so violent that he sank into unconsciousness… He survived, and New Planet Vegeta’s gravity pulled him back. There, he recuperated his strength slowly, managing to survive in the place’s uninhabited desert… For six years, he waited to regain his strength. When he felt ready, he focused on one goal: to find and eliminate Kakarotto! He transformed into a Suepr Saiyan and went towards the power that he had sensed from afar…. Without air, without the ship, his body was able to resist the long journey… and when he came to Earth, he stopped, sank into unconsciousness and dropped onto the planet…  
He had just woken up and he felt two powers. He knew had not forgotten Trunks and Kakarotto… even though they seemed slightly different. He did not think for a moment longer. He had waited for this moment for a long time! He turned into a Super Saiyan and rushed two small powers that he had sensed.  
“It’s them!” he cried. “I’m on the right planet!”  
For the first time in several years, he had found his smile and one goal: to destroy Kakarotto and the insects around him! This time, yes this time, he would win! He would even destroy this planet! What he would he have done, however, had he known immediately that Goku was killed by Cell several years earlier…?Trunks and Goten reflected again as they retrieved the Dragon Ball … If they had used a capsule submarine, this would not have happened. It was as if they were immediately punished for what they had done.  
“Hey, don’t you feel anything?” Trunks asked his friend, who looked at him quizzically.  
He felt it too, without knowing the mortal danger approaching them. As they turned, they found themselves violently attacked by a … mountain? A mountain of muscle. They didn’t have time to see who it was before the impact knocked the wind out of them!

Before they could react, Broly threw a violent right hook into the face of Trunks who immediately dropped into the water, unconscious. Then he struck Goten hard in the stomach with his knee – a knee that was nearly the size of the seven-year-old boy. Broly grabbed him by the neck and began to strangle him, then finally noticed that they were mere children. Was it he who had grown up faster than Kakarotto? No, impossible…  
Far from the battle, those who had previously fought Broly were scared. Gohan, who was with Piccolo, felt his little brother losing; Vegeta felt his son’s ki falter along with Kulilin and Yamcha. At present, Bulma was with Vegeta. But when the Prince of Saiyans took off, Yamcha stayed with his ex-girlfriend. Someone had to stay with her to explain the situation, and comfort her with the knowledge that her husband and son were all right … the truth was, he didn’t want to fight such a monster again!  
Kulilin asked his wife, cyborg 18, to come with him right away. She didn’t understand what was happening, but her husband explained as they flew. 18 noticed that even while flying, her husband wsa trembling…he could have died there…he was afraid! But Gohan was there, the most powerful warrior in the world. Not to mention Vegeta, who was necessarily getting stronger.  
But not Kulilin – ever since Cell, he had given up fighting. He had grown out his hair and achieved his oldest dream: to marry. He even had a daughter, a little girl he would protect no matter what, at any cost, risking his life. That was why he flew toward the monster that was attacking. Despite its strength, which made even 18 seem weak in comparison, he had to try something…

Goten was choking…he was already unconscious when Broly finally let go. It was not that he had tired of playing with the boy, but he sensed someone else approaching. He dropped Son Goten and gave him a violent kick that nearly killed him, sending him falling into the ocean. Just then, someone intervened.  
Vegeta, it seemed, came out of nowhere. Already transformed into his Super Saiyan state, he had flown at top speed to be first on the scene. His first punch sent the giant tumbling several dozen meters down. Vegeta charged again, yelling at Broly. “WHERE IS MY SON!?” But the Legendary Super Saiyan was very strong, and despite Vegeta’s seven years of intensive training, they were on an even playing field. Blows, parries, and dodges rained back and forth quickly between the two warriors.  
Son Gohan was fast approaching. He had already realized that Vegeta was on the scene, fighting with all his strength. But he could no longer sense the two boys… Very worried, he plunged into the water in search of his little brother and Trunks, fearing it was too late. If the worst had happened, they could still be revived with the Dragon Balls, but it was best if they didn’t have to be used. As he searched, he felt the powerful auras clashing far above him. The battle between Vegeta and Broly was really intense! Broly was a Super Saiyan, but he had not yet changed into his muscle-bound, invincible Legendary form, so they could still hope to win…Just then, #18 appeared in front of Gohan. It only took a moment for him to understand what the cyborg wanted. Leaving her to find the two kids, Son Gohan rose toward the surface at full speed.  
As he burst out of the water, poised to hit their enemy at maximum speed, Broly and Vegeta were locked together arm-to-arm. Broly took the opportunity to spit a remark at the Prince of Saiyans, the son of the man who had ordered the execution of him and his father Paragus.  
“Not afraid of me any more, Prince Vegeta?”  
“You remembered how to talk?” the father of Trunks replied, uninterested in his opponent’s remarks.  
The Super Saiyan states changes a Saiyan’s behavior, particularly the first time they transform. One example is the trend toward increasing violence. Super Saiyan Goku, too excited to think clearly, had chosen to fight Frieza alone on a planet doomed to destruction. Super Saiyan 2 Gohan had gone from an innocent boy to a shrewd, arrogant sadist determined to prolong the agony of Cell until the monster knew he was no longer the most powerful being in the universe.  
Super Saiyan Broly was not very different. However, when changed into his Legendary Super Saiyan state, his intelligence evaporated, thinking only of destruction and death. At their previous meeting, Broly had remained silent, aloof, because of the forced slavery imposed by his father. Once released from that bondage, he was immediately transformed into the Legendary warrior, his vocabulary reduced to sadistic laughter punctuated by screams.  
Vegeta’s remark, though careless, was not a taunt. It was, in fact, the first time he heard Broly speak clearly…  
Broly had not noticed Gohan, and the wind was knocked out of him when the son of Goku hit him: driven by momentum, both fists forward, he seemed to want to pierce the Legendary warrior through and through. Broly’s abs were taut enough to withstand the blow. But the pain was too much. He would kill them, crush them like bugs…  
“Quick, Vegeta!” shouted Gohan, his fists clenched. “We must finish him before he turns into the…”  
Legendary Super Saiyan. Broly could transform whenever he wanted. At that precise moment, his body exploded dramatically in size. Gohan was desperate. What could he do?  
“Now that he’s like this, nothing will hurt him!”“I know that already!” Vegeta replied curtly before turning to Broly, sneering. “It’s been a long time since Cell. You’re beneath our level now, legendary failure!”  
He rushed Broly again, despite Gohan’s attempts to stop him. His fist struck Broly under the chin…but just as before…there was no effect. The monster reacted with a powerful right hook. Gohan started to help him when he noticed Kulinin’s wife lifting two very badly injured children out of the water. Very injured – could they be dead?  
“Goten!” cried Gohan, seeing his little brother unconscious and bleeding.  
For the first time since the fight against Bojack, Gohan flew into a rage deep enough to awaken the Super Saiyan 2 state. His hair straightened and lighting erupted around his body. Driven with new strength, he rushed Broly, smashing a knee into his face. Broly lost the ball of energy he was preparing to throw at Vegeta, falling back. Gohan followed up his advantage, keeping Broly on the defensive and giving him no chance to rest.  
Vegeta watched, remembering the fight against Cell – the moment when Gohan was unquestionably the most powerful of all.  
“Yes, he is the strongest…for the moment,” said the Namek Piccolo, who had finally arrived on the scene. He floated slightly higher than the Prince of Saiyans, his arms crossed. “But, as you know, Broly’s strength only increases! He can’t be beaten the normal way.”  
Kulilin joined #18. Each carried one of the children, flying toward the palace of Dende so they could be healed. The cyborg asked her husband why they weren’t joining the fight.  
“No, no way! I don’t want to be beaten in a single blow,” replied her husband. “And I don’t want you to be injured, either. The important thing is to get the children to a safe place and let Gohan and the others do the rest.”  
#18 thought she might be useful in combat…but if Kulilin considered it futile, that was that. He was very good at assessing the level of his opponents, even after years without training. She could trust him. Holding Trunks tightly, she followed her husband to Dende’s palace.  
“We must attack him all at once,” Piccolo said to Vegeta insistently.  
“Keep your plans; we don’t need them!”  
But he was wrong. Broly had just awakened. His ki was already rising, and it now exceeded that of Son Gohan who still resisted as hard as he could. Far away in paradise, Son Goku could feel the power released by Broly…  
“You’re going to like my plan,” said Piccolo to Vegeta. “We’ll keep Broly busy while you charge your most powerful attack to finish him.”  
“This won’t do any…”“And your attack will push him into the sun.”  
Vegeta thought for a moment, but soon accepted the Namek’s idea. After all, Gohan really was in trouble…and he knew the power of Broly would increase again. Piccolo prepared to intervene while Vegeta readied his Final Flash. For his part, Goku did not stay without doing anything…he stood up, ready to go, two fingers pressed to his forehead. He knew it was forbidden, but he had already done it once…a second time couldn’t hurt…and with Broly, the fate of the entire universe was at stake!  
“Broly is a sufficient danger so you can go,” said Kaio-sama, “but we need an authorization first!”  
“We don’t have the time!”  
“I’m with you, Goku, but you can’t leave for more than a second.”  
“Me?” replied the Saiyan with a mischievous look in his eye. “I’m not leaving…I’m just training a little.”  
In an instant, he transformed effortlessly into his Super Saiyan 3 state. Not losing energy in paradise was a real luxury! His long golden hair fell down his back. He no longer held a teleporting position, but instead charged a Kamehameha as if he was about to launch it into the sky.  
“You see?” he said to King Kai with a smile.  
Son Gohan was losing ground against Broly. The monster caught him by the jaw, ready to crush him. Suddenly, Broly felt something like a tingling on his back. Turning, he saw that Piccolo had come to rescue his former pupil with a beam attack, however insignificant it was against the enemy.  
“Do as Vegeta, Gohan!” cried the Namek as Broly dropped him.  
Piccolo faced Broly boldly, but he was shaking inside. Did the monster know what they were preparing?  
Gohan thanked Piccolo, retreating to where Vegeta was while the Namek attacked Broly. Broly, of course, felt none of the blows. He caught Piccolo, crushing him against his iron chest, then yanked on his arm so hard that it ripped off as he strangled him. At this rate, the Namek would be dead in a few seconds…  
Filled with vengeful fury, Gohan launched his violent Kamehameha. Surprised by the premature attack, Vegeta launched his Final Flash. Behind and between them, Goku appeared by Instant Transmission. His Super Saiyan 3 Kamehameha was already prepared; he had only to release it.The three attacks combined on contact with Broly, who had dropped the poor Namek. Piccolo had already lost both his legs in addition to one of his arms. The Legendary Super Saiyan was unable to emerge. Blocked by the force of the three powerful beams, he was pushed into the sun. The shock caused him to lose his transformation. Once again in his base state, the sun destroyed his body in mere seconds.

“Ka…ka…ro…tto…” It was the last word he uttered before being completely reduced to ashes.  
Immediately after the attack, Gohan turned. He had felt his father’s ki, and had seen something for a split second! A mirage? Or had he really been there? Vegeta didn’t seem to notice, heaving a sigh of relief.  
“If you aimed well, Broly won’t come back. The sun burns much more than our attacks,” said Piccolo to Vegeta and Gohan after regenerating his missing limbs. (For once, we see a barefoot Namek – that’s a first!)  
In Universes 4, 16, and 18, they never saw Broly again. He was completely destroyed by the sun. But in the universe designated “#20” by the Vargas, the Legendary Super Saiyan narrowly avoided the sun, ultimately triumphing…Broly dreamed. Since destroying everything in his universe, he was motionless in space, frozen and condemned to live forever. He had miraculously survived his battle with Gohan and Vegeta by avoiding the sun, and returned for vengeance…only to be left alone in an empty universe. He became stronger with every moment that passed. Nothing changed – and nothing was all he knew. His universe was as empty as his heart.  
Broly dreamed of chaos, destruction, and death. He desperately wanted to wake up, to destroy everything around him. He longed to savor again the cries of terror. Slowly, as if his dream was fading into reality, he began to feel something…a growing warmth. How long had it been since he had felt even the slightest heat? That feeling comforted him now, gently pulling him from this endless dream…Broly felt new energy building, another chance to live – to destroy. He felt born again. Once the warmth filled him, his icy prison would disappear and he could again wreak carnage and destruction…

In the space reserved for Universe 18, Trunks and Goten remained in the arena, as did Trunks from Universe 12. Goku and the others waited for Broly to be awakened, wondering what consequences would follow from the resurrection of the Legendary Super Saiyan.  
“If Broly’s power kept growing like we saw…even Vegetto won’t be able to do a thing,” said Son Goku as they watched Broly’s glacial prison, surrounded by Nameks and Vargas.  
“If he is alive,” added Vegeta.  
The Prince of Saiyans didn’t believe that the monster had survived…not that he wouldn’t fight if necessary, but he felt a little concern for the others, who would be easily slaughtered.  
“Once all the audience is dead, do you think they’ll continue the tournament?” wondered Goku, as if he had no doubt of Broly’s victory.  
“The children will die too.” Vegeta stood with his arms crossed. “I’m not kidding,” he added after Trunks and Goten protested.  
It was true that being considered children was annoying…but they remembered the beating they had taken. The nightmares had lasted for so long. Since growing up, they were stronger and could use fusion…but facing Broly again was more terrifying than fighting Majin Buu.  
“Bra, Pan, Videl…and anyone who wants to, go into the spectator’s bleachers,” Son Goku advised, pointing toward the exit.  
“It’s protected by an anti-energy field,” added Gohan. “You won’t see very much up there, but you will be safer.”“We won’t see a thing if we can’t follow the energies!” protested Pan.  
“End of discussion!” Gohan wouldn’t budge.  
Videl put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, hoping she would understand that her father was right. Bowing her head, the girl began to follow Bra toward the exit. Gohan quickly caught up to Videl and gave her his glasses. After a quick embrace, he joined those who still remained.  
“You’re staying?” Goku asked Vegeta.  
“Do I look like I’m moving?” his friend and rival replied curtly.  
Behind them, Gohan and Piccolo stood motionless. The latter glanced at the space of Universe 16. Unlike here, Trunks, Goten, and Bra remained in the open.  
From the bleachers, Uub noticed that U16’s Bra hadn’t left. The latter felt his stare and turned to look at the young man…who turned away, embarrassed. In fact, out of everyone in U16, only Videl went to wait in the stands.  
In the space of Universe 13, the four Saiyans talked amongst themselves.  
“We’ll finally see those two mysteries in action,” said Raditz.  
“Yeah, right! The guy in the ice cube will never wake up!” contradicted Nappa.  
“This Vegetto seems really over-confident,” Vegeta said, despite having no real evidence to support his claims.  
“He’s got that foolish look, like he has nothing to worry about,” added Kakarotto, his hands on his hips.  
“The locks on his forehead are ugly.”  
“And on the back! Ridiculous spiky hair!”  
“He looks like nothing.”  
“Nothing good, anyway,” Kakarotto concluded, ending the discussion.  
Aside from Universes 16 and 18, and Trunks from Universe 12, no other participants knew Broly. Unaware of the danger, they all waited for the next fight. The participants from Universe 19 noticed that the people in the space next door had left, but they paid it no attention.  
At their right, a Namek continued to heat the surface of the ice. Suddenly, it shattered with a loud crack! The Namek recoiled instantly, surprised, and stepped aside to allow one of the Vargas to determine whether the warrior inside was dead or alive. He lifted one hand and closed his eyes…he felt something!  
“I sense a pulse! He is alive!” he said, smiling at the knowledge that the warrior he found would be able to compete.  
He had no chance to enjoy his success. In the split second that followed, the ice beside him exploded. A huge hand burst out and caught the Varga by the throat, forcing a single terrified “QUACK!” to the horror of the Vargas and Nameks standing around.

For two brief seconds, the Varga hung imprisoned by the powerful grip of the monster. The murderer’s mad, white eyes stared at him as the ice continued to shatter. He could wait for a moment to strangle this common insect, after all.  
“It’s starting!” declared Goku, tensing his muscles in preparation. Vegeta uncrossed his arms and clenched his fists.  
Broly had only been conscious for a few seconds and already someone was dead. Or at least seriously injured. Nobody really had the time to check and see whether the victim was still breathing…  
Broly yelled, raising his fists above his head as a sickly green aura appeared around him. No-one had ever felt energy so powerful and so large – the aura extended at least ten meters in every direction! The spectators behind him were blinded, and the Vargas and Nameks in the space of Universe 20 were thrown in every direction. Dust raised by his aura obscured him from the view of most of the participants…but Broly’s ki had already begun to rise…  
“His power is huge!” cried Goten from Universe 16.  
“Even after waking up from hibernation!” added Piccolo, who could barely believe his eyes.  
It was so much higher than the time that the monster had appeared on Earth, twenty years before.  
Vegetto merely smiled. He was glad to see this force; he wanted more than anything to measure himself against the Legendary Super Saiyan. All was going just as he had expected…  
In the space for Universe 12, Trunks and #16 were surprised to see such tremendous power. Trunks had told the android about the monster – how he had fought against the legendary warrior next to Goku and his friends on New Planet Vegeta. But this was far beyond his memories or imagination. Cell, in his space, immediately realized that this was an unusual Saiyan. He couldn’t explain it, but he suddenly felt a very human sense of fear run up his spine…he hadn’t felt such a sensation since Super Saiyan 2 Gohan had put him on the ground in only two punches: one to the stomach and an uppercut to the chin. In the space of Universe 8, Kiwi wondered just how strong the unknown warrior was.  
“A perfect opportunity to test my newly modified scouter, heh!” he murmured with a smile.  
BOOM!  
“Oh…bad idea.” The scouter had exploded instantly – fortunately, he was unhurt. The nano-warriors of Universe 19 wondered the same thing. But their built-in scouters also failed to give an accurate reading – they simply displayed an error.  
“Damn!” one of the warriors grumbled.  
“Are you getting anything, Eleim?” asked one of his friends.  
“Nothing but an error message – SW66H2G2 – on my scouter! Shit!”  
“I’m getting the same reading. Classic. I think our armor was made by a subcontractor,” joked Xeniloum.  
“I don’t think that our advanced laboratory scientists would be very happy to hear you talk about them like that! You’ve saved many lives with your equipment, I believe,” interjected a third warrior.  
“Ah, whatever – excuse me for being a little nervous in the face of such an incredible phenomenon!”  
Broly stopped roaring and glanced to one side. There, a Varga and a Namek lay wounded.  
“He must be stopped!” cried the little Varga, hoping someone would activate the device and make the monster disappear.  
Broly smiled, then flung energy blasts around him in every direction. They exploded at the slightest touch of the floor and shields protecting the spectators. The attacks seemed completely random, flying in all directions.Space 2 was filled with explosions – the most mature of them suddenly realized the risk they were facing. When one of the balls of energy exploded nearby, they all retreated inside. Next to them the gods of Universe 1 stayed put, South Kaioshin standing in front to divert the balls of energy, since he was the strongest physically.  
Goku knew that Broly would attack him immediately the moment he showed himself…so he hung back, letting Gohan deflect the attacks that entered their space. Vegeta remained motionless. As Gohan blocked a pair of blasts, he glanced over and saw his counterpart from Universe 16. It was startling, and yet humorous at the same time – he briefly wondered how interesting it would be like to fight a clone of himself, someone who thought in the exact same way.  
Both Gohans thought the same thing – with their strength, perhaps the two of them could match Broly together? But now was not the time to test it. Vegetto was fighting – one of them, at least, was sure his father could take care of it. The other hesitated, still ready to help if necessary.  
Below and between them, Cell stayed motionless while several explosions erupted around him. His single Cell Junior seemed very careful to avoid taking a hit, though. In the 6th space, Bojack stood without moving despite his apprehension. The girls in that universe took refuge at the entrance of their space, dodging stray blasts and screaming insults at the wild warrior from Universe 20.Also among the handful of warriors who feared nothing was the Namek from Universe 7. One of Broly’s attacks came straight at him, but he merely lifted one hand to catch it. Unlike the others, it didn’t explode on contact; he sent it far above him, where it exploded in space without harming anyone.  
Two people from two different worlds, each wielding a sword, moved almost in unison. As the attacks flew toward them, they drew their weapons and sliced them in two. Both Tapion of Universe 3 and Trunks of Universe 12 were well-protected; they repeated the defensive motions with each attack. Just next to Universe 12, Kakarotto grinned as he punted the energy ball straight up. In Universe 9, Kulilin shielded himself with his shell while the others easily dodged the energy balls and then retreated inside.  
As Broly’s powerful attacks continued to rain down around the stadium, several referees were struck and killed instantly. Others fled, never to return – this tournament had become too dangerous for their tastes!  
It was too much. In the tournament control room, a decision was quickly made:  
“He is totally mad!” exclaimed one of the Vargas. “I’m sending him back!”  
He pressed the red button programmed to send Broly back to his universe…but it did not work. There was a short circuit somewhere…yet these were high-quality electronics, well able to resist energy flux! The highest technology! Even after thousands of years of progress, these things still didn’t work…  
Everyone had now become well-acquainted with Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan that only appears once every thousand years. No-one knew – except, perhaps, Vegetto – that it was another very dangerous fighter who had kept Broly there, using magic to short-circuit the system:“He he. It would be such a shame if this fight couldn’t happen,” thought Buu in Universe 4, “because of a birdie who’s too worried about the security of his arena.”  
Buu smiled, waiting for the events that would follow. He wondered how Vegetto and Broly would react. Above all, he wanted to know who was more powerful – the fused Saiyan, or the warrior who would only arise every thousand years...Broly finally stopped the carnage. After hundreds of explosions and some casualties among the arbitrators and Vargas, none of the spectators present in the stands could see anything on account of the thick gray and white smoke that covered the entire arena. Some of the participants in their space panted and choked a little. Only Broly's laughter echoed distinctly in the ears of all.  
In the stands, Pan was afraid. With all these attacks, she feared that her father or grandfather were wounded. Trunks and Goten looked and remembered again, as if it was a phobia, Broly's overwhelming power.  
Below them, they could suddenly hear the sound of heavy footsteps. Broly walked calmly toward the center of the arena, while the thick smoke slowly evaporated through a machine initiated by Vargas. In Universe 16's space, Gohan and Piccolo readied themselves. Anything could happen from now on. Broly perceived someone, and assuredly he would certainly rush him. Vegetto took advantage of the last few seconds where he could not be seen to fly silently to the ring. The fateful moment had finally arrived ...  
Broly had finally stopped, almost at the center of the arena, while the white smoke completely disappeared. There was a grin on the face of the Legendary Saiyan as he began to look in turn each of the participants present... he reached a point on his left and someone interested him... In Universe 18's space, Son Goku stood firmly. Piccolo and Vegeta were beside him, but the only one in whom he was interested was:  
"Ka ... ka ... ro ... tto?" he said, stammering, almost surprised to see this bug again. He thought he had already killed him!  
He had pronounced this word for years, and ever since he had felt an enormous sense of pleasure in massacring the one he hated... Again, each syllable of the cursed name awakened his desire to murder. Jumping without thinking any longer to Universe 18 to this standing Son Goku, he cried again the name that everyone in the stadium heard:  
"Kakarotto!" Without wasting a second, Goku tightly clenched his fists and transformed into Super Saiyan 3. This was the minimum power he would need to cope up with Broly, who seemed be at least twice as strong as before! This change in physical appearance slightly surprised Broly. He had a moment of déjà vu... The slightly larger muscles, the long golden hair...But who cared! Anyway, it was still Kakarotto and Broly wanted to hit him with all his might! But no sooner was he two or three meters from the Super Saiyan 3, who had a drop of sweat beading on his forehead, a red beam with a diameter equal to that of Son Goku's hands appeared between them. Broly stopped immediately in front of surprised by this thing that had not yet intended to touch. The light beam was planted in the ground and had been fired from... the ring!  
After putting his hand nonchalantly on the light beam it was noted that it did no harm to him. However, anyone else would have felt a sharp pain in his touch, and would quickly removed their hand, or else they would have completely reduced it to ashes.  
"Hey, Broly!" the man with the earrings from the ring cried to make himself heard. "I am the real Kakarotto!" he assured, flattening half of his hair with his good hand to make an instant hair-style similar to that of Goku.  
"Kakarotto!" Broly yelled, as if attracted by the head he hated. This reaction surprised Goku: wouldn't Broly still not be confused between him and Vegetto?  
At the moment, Goten told Trunks, who was at his side in the stands, "You know man ... I'm really glad I changed my haircut so that it wasn't like my father's..."  
"Tell me about it... You did the right thing!" replied his friend just before taking his eyes from the mass of muscles that flew quickly to the ring, releasing a large amount of dust on the ground."At last!" Vegetto said to himself turning into Super Saiyan. "I wasn't expecting that! C'mon, Broly! Show me the power of the Legendary Super Saiyan!"

Broly reached to his opponent's height to strike with all his strength using his right fist. Vegetto easily dodged by jumping over the giant who blew up a good half of the ring. Now that he had touched it, the battle was legal as stipulated in the Vargas' settlement. In this fight, Vegetto wanted to follow the rules!  
Other participants in the tournament were also included in this contract. Even if Broly was immediately disqualified for attacking everyone out of the game, they did not intend to intervene. They merely observed the battle in silence.  
Broly turned as quickly as he could, to give a violent elbow to his opponent, but Vegetto, since he was faster, slipped under the arm and flung him a kick to the face.  
Already upset, the Legendary Super Saiyan wanted to counter against Vegetto's attack, but the fused fighter did not give him enough time. Broly cashed a violent right hook, followed by a kick to his abs, a knee to the chin, a blow on his head, and a new kick, chained instantly by a elbow in the head. A storm of blows fell upon Broly who was currently being dominated by his opponent. The man gave him no time to react. Vegetto's assault was effective, he was certain!  
In Universe 18, Goku calmed down and went back to his regular saiyan state to preserve his energy, seeing as he was no longer directly threatened. The battle, which was taking place before his eyes was really terrible. Just by being Super Saiyan, this Vegetto by far outclassed his Super Saiyan 3. Piccolo asked him:  
"Should we intervene?"  
"That would be the best thing to do," suggested Gohan.  
It was not the time to procrastinate. Everyone knew what might happen. They had to neutralize Broly at all costs.  
"I do not know..." he answered. "Vegetto appears to dominating him... So the fight might actually finish shortly," Goku replied.  
"After all," Vegeta intervened, "those guys in Universe 16's space aren't moving."  
Indeed, none of the warriors from the 16th universe were going to lend a hand to Vegetto. Bra was aware that it was unwise to intervene. Vegetto had made it clear before leaving that this was his fight. He was keen to face Broly alone.  
Even if she obeyed him, it was easy to see the frustration that lived inside Bra. She had so often heard from the her father or her brother Gohan about how Broly was impressive. She had so often dreamed of meeting and confronting the Legendary Super Saiyan whose power grew steadily. Today she had the opportunity to finally see him with her own eyes. That was something. But she would have enjoyed being there in place of her father and face him herself. An opponent like Broly was a real challenge!  
In the space 13, a sudden question fell upon Kakarotto. "Hey, hold on... If I understand correctly, this guy rushed at my counterpart and the other guy who's pretending to be me... Does this hound have a problem with me or what?"  
Prince Vegeta said nothing and merely crossed his eyes. It was indeed strange that Broly rushed like that at people like Kakarotto... It was an enigma to which they would never have to answer ... unless you go asked the guys in Universes 16 and 18 to provide explanations... But would they? Was it necessary anyway? Kakarotto was not the type to bother spending a long time with these kind of questions. And Vegeta wondered rather from where that Son Goku's transformation came when Broly came attacking...  
Suddenly, Broly seemed to wake up. He managed to grab the wrist of Vegetto, who was about to dish out another punch. Vegetto tried to hit him with one hand, but again, Broly parried the blow. And disadvantaged Vegetto cashed several terrible knee blows from the great colossus.When was the last time he felt such pain? He couldn't ever remember such excitement against an opponent so powerful? He was breathless! Broly had taken advantage of this moment to join his hands and strike a powerful blow to the back.  
Vegetto was thrown so hard that he crossed halfway through the ring. He caught himself just after slowing his fall in second and holding his head. He had tears in his eyes because of the force of the blow!  
Buu from Universe 4 was intently focused on the show. Smiling, he was eager to see more. Vegetto was stronger than Broly, Broly then began to gain an advantage...And then? He was sure they would not stay long in the same power level.  
Broly rushed at Vegetto, who dodged the brute by shifting slightly to the side. He tried to land a punch by whirling to the side. The fist flew and hit the giant on his left cheek. Spitting a little saliva, Broly counterattacked with a single straight punch. Vegetto dodged, grabbed his arm and with all his strength used it as a lever to launch Broly skyward. This time, it was the Colossus' turn to destroy a new part of the ring.Vegetto quickly put two fingers to his forehead to teleport behind Broly who had just recovered. Pointing his outstretched hand in Broly's direction, Vegetto prepared a powerful attack.  
"Big Bang Attack!"  
A huge wave of blue ki crashed into Broly with an explosive blast. The explosion was violent and impressed everyone... Including most of the participants of Universe 2, which for the majority also felt very overshadowed in the tournament. It was the same for the warriors of Universe 19. The explosion that had taken place was strong, and they wondered how people without any technological equipment could deal such damage. They had already met powerful creatures but nothing like this...  
"The Saiyans really are thugs..." Tien said in Universe 9.  
"Tell me about it. This unknown guy from Universe 20 is very muscular... Impressive," Yamcha added.  
"Vegetto's attack was impressive too," Kulilin said shaking his stick in his hand. "But I think it was not enough ..."  
Kulilin was a very insightful man. He suspected that such a Colossus could survive an attack of this magnitude.  
To Vegeta in the Universe 13, it was also evident. Just as it was obvious that they were facing the Legendary Super Saiyan ... Vegetto also used a technique that was very similar to his, which also had the same name... Who was this Vegetto? And the overwhelming Saiyan with green hair? If he had to face the Legendary Super Saiyan... Vegeta was glad that it was not his fight, due to his relatively lower power.  
In Universe 16, Trunks and Goten were happy to once again be avenged.  
"Well played, Dad!" Trunks shouted, his fists clenched in victory.  
"Take that! In your face, Broly!" Goten added equally enthusiastically.  
However, Piccolo and Gohan had looked a little more serious. They did not share the optimism of Trunks and Goten.  
"All that is very nice," said Piccolo, "but against Broly ... It's totally useless!"  
"I thought he had a plan when he told us not to intervene. "But now I'm not so sure! Is the fight for him to protect all of us or just... for pleasure? I wonder if he wants the tournament to continue normally after..."  
"It is possible..."  
Beside them, Bra continued to look at her father, her arms crossed. If Vegetto ever fought Broly just for fun, without inviting her, it would be trouble! Bra inwardly seethed at the thought of not being able to cope with the Millennium Warrior!  
For those of Universe 8, it was rather like a cold shower or rather a succession of disappointments! When they noticed that Vegetto was transformed and also had hair and a golden aura, Freeza and his clique remembered that Trunks who came to tell them that he was a Super Saiyan in the tournament. This was Vegetto the second! As for this Broly, he also had a psychopathic monkey face, but his green hair bristled like that of the Saiyans.  
"It's impossible!" Freeza said after Vegetto used his Big Bang Attack against Broly.  
"I can't follow them. They're too fast!" added his brother Coola. "Even my opponent did not move so fast!"  
"He told us the truth," intervened Cold beside them, equally amazed at the potential of the two warriors who fought hard for a long time. "They also must be Super Saiyans!"  
Freeza felt a drop of sweat running down his forehead to his cheek.  
"I ... I had reason to exterminate them!"  
"Our only chance would be them killing each other off!" Coola added again.  
"Freeza ... you better be very careful in your fight against Nappa," Cold advised his son.  
Freeza said nothing. These unknown Saiyans could be so strong... He had trouble believing it. But if Nappa was also so powerful ... No, he would never accept it! Should this happen, he would blow up the asteroid as he did years ago with Planet Vegeta!  
The worst part of it was that other participants seemed much stronger than them! No, the worst thing was that they hadn't seen anything yet ...In the space that was reserved for Universe 4, Buu watched every little movement between the two combatants. In fact, he saw nothing that particularly excited him. Their current strengths were not much higher than his.  
With an impassive gaze, a motionless body and crossed arms he thought, "What the heck is Vegetto doing? Can't he see that his opponent is unique? Yet he is not trying his best to win, so is he just toying around? Is he just amusing himself?"  
Buu understood Broly's main feature: an invincible body, unique to his being. Him withstanding Vegetto's powerful attack had made that clear! Through the smoke, Buu could sense that he was still alive and that his ki wasn’t lowering. Vegetto must have known exactly that. Why did he attack like a madman if he knew it wouldn't have any effect?  
Soon Buu was going to see the second ability of the Legendary Super Saiyan.  
"Come on Broly, I know you want some more!" Vegetto cried, wiping his chin slightly to ease the pain where Broly flanked him.  
The former, however, sustained no injury. Only a single drop of sweat reflected the strength he used to attack Broly. Besides that, his shining golden aura blazed around him; it seemed to get lost in spades over his head in a characteristic blowing, like thousands of leaves tossed by an untiringly turbulent wind.  
Faced with this warrior with golden hair and straightened-back locks, except for two that preferred to remain at the front, Broly clenched his fists. His rage increased, and his strength also grew... The smoke cleared entirely, revealing him out of the depths of the dust. Shouting louder than ever, he showed his determination to overcome his opponent, "I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!"  
Faced with this display of power, a green aura appeared around him. Even greater than before, it seemed to compete and outpace Vegetto with a much more serious and noisy sound. From the bleachers, the spectators, who had been seeing a yellow light almost since Vegetto's attack, now saw a huge green glow. To top it off, the yellow flashes tinged with green and surrounded Broly and his aura for a demonstration of unbeatable ki. From Universe 18's space, Goku commented, followed by many others:  
"Broly's ki just doubled!"  
"He's much too strong now!!" Piccolo slipped out.  
"We should have helped Vegetto before!" Son Gohan added.  
But it did not seem that Vegetto was frightened by Broly's new ki. Instead of being stunned, he smiled, shielding his face with one arm against the will of the Millennium Warrior who assailed at him.  
"Come on, show me your maximum power!" he cried at Broly, shaking his fist a little more excitedly.  
Buu was therefore now in full understanding Broly's true unique feature: the ability to double his ki in a few seconds without any real superhuman effort, almost at will... He had never seen such a thing in his universe. Broly was really unique. If the Saiyan was absorbed, Buu wondered what it would be the effect on his own body.  
Broly suddenly rushed at Vegetto, who was flying above him. Surprised by the sudden increase of speed acquired by Broly, Vegetto did not dodge the blow, and instead Broly dealt him a hook which distorted the video image for two seconds during which Broly continued to unrestrainedly beat he who had dared to launch a such an attack from the back. Broly fought back with both his fists and feet, as well as elbows, knees, and even used his head to strike again and again at Vegetto, who, for once, found himself at a disadvantage.  
Various emotions coursed through the spectators and participants, but not one of disinterest; some were frightened, many were amazed as the chained attacks and the plight of the Saiyan continued for several minutes. The tension was palpable in Universe 18. On the contrary, in Universe 16, although they were wondering what Vegetto was feeling, only one thing was clear, he felt no fear... no fear at all...  
And because they knew about Vegetto’s ability, like Broly, he could not be defeated in the traditional way. He would not lose from a few physical blows! Even if they were dealt by the Legendary Super Saiyan ...  
Broly finally stopped his succession of blows that would have killed most people, then followed up with a powerful and fast right hook. Carried away by the force, Vegetto fell, three hundred times faster than a stone crashing several meters underground, in an earthquake that was felt by the entire audience. A cloud of dust rose somewhat from the gaping hole created by the event. Broly finally moved, flying tens of meters over there, catching his breath. He rarely stopped himself from hitting a single person as well. In fact... Perhaps it was the first time someone had actually resisted his melee attack? Anyway, he let out a rather diabolical laugh, revived his green aura that, for some viewers, was beautiful to see...  
Among the participants, it was quite different. Nobody lingered on the green aura, even if it was unique. In the space 13, for example:  
"That's it ... The true power of Legendary Super Saiyan!" Vegeta said, more to himself, remaining speechless as the Legendary saiyan continued to laugh non-stop.  
The Prince of Saiyans could not believe his eyes. It was so hard to follow their movements... but he felt the power of the impacts ... He was clearly below this level... Like many others... In space 1, the gods themselves were impressed.  
"Broly... The Legendary Super Saiyan," the South Kaiôshin repeated. "We had killed him while he was still a baby... a wise decision!"  
"I was against it..." the Eastern Kaioshin added. He recognized some of the participants, particularly those in Universes 9, 16 and 18. "But I understand your reasons, now!" said the small Kaiôshin, finally realizing that making the decision they had taken at the time was clearly the right one...  
He was a young god compared to the others ... he was often at odds with the others, and their decisions to often meddle in the affairs of mortals and remove threats in advance. It was a bit normal... but then he had to admit he was wrong to question the decision of the Ancients... In fact, it was not at all the killing in advance Legendary Super Saiyan what he was against... It was the act of killing a poor baby, an obviously helpless being... it was against his principles. Yet, a thousand years ago, he had fought the previous Legendary Warrior with all other Kaioshins ... a fact that West Kaioshin reminded him.  
"We studied him a thousand years ago... Once transformed, he was completely insensitive to blows, indestructible! And he had non-stop rising power! He lost all sense of reason!"  
"I remember..." the North Kaiô Shin added. It was the three of them against him, but all that happened was that they had met him and he had even exceeded their strength! To defeat him, they threw him into a star ... But this one... They couldn't even push him!  
A thousand years ago in Universes 1 and 10, the Kaioshins, who left nothing to chance, had actually detected and killed the Legendary Warrior on the Planet Plant. In almost all other universes, as East Kaioshin was living alone, it was he who came with Kibito to meet this warrior. The Kaioshins in both cases used the same technique: get rid of him using the sun. *Read Hanasia of Salagir*  
The ground shook again... and a hole was formed due to the impact of Vegetto, who dislodge himself and sprung to the air, surrounded by his golden aura. He flew up to meet Broly face-to-face as he finally stopped laughing stupidly.  
"Finally," he said, smiling for the first time since his birth... "I have to fight all out!" cried he finally releasing his strength.  
His aura took on a more violent aspect and the light also began to be covered blue flashes of lightning when Vegetto shook his fists high, contracting three quarters of all the muscles of his body at the same time. His hair, which was already bristling back, seemed to stiffen a little more. Both of the locks from before finally went to press against each other. The whole body of the warrior born of a fusion of two outstanding fighters began to glow yellow and white, dazzling everyone.  
Everything was covered in a bright flash for a few seconds, and when it faded they saw Vegetto, right there, smiling, fists clenched, ready to face Broly who still illuminated with a green aura. But this time, it seemed to be chewed by that of Vegetto, which was shining brighter than ever before. His clothes reflected the golden light of the aura, blue lightning traveled throughout the body.  
Vegetto was now a Super Saiyan 2... The audience was shocked ... They couldn't even form a thought, but they now realized that from the beginning he was holding back his true strength! To combat this monster that was Broly, he had to be releas it. What was he thinking? Goku asked the same question to Buu: So is that what Vegetto was playing at? He placed his level at a state to remain equal to Broly... So basically, he gave himself a handicap! Until he could no longer keep up... Vegetto was so sure of himself, he allowed himself to play along while in front of him was the most dangerous being in all the universes... And now he had let it up; he was the only one who could stop the beast. He endangered everyone for the sheer adrenaline!  
But if it was Goku in his place, would it be different? He wasn't so sure of himself. He too, on several occasions, had jeopardized the Earth, and even the entire universe! Once when he left Freeza alive, or even when he let him achieve a hundred percent of his power. Another time against Cell, giving him a Senzu after his fight, while his son was to fight right after the fight. And then against Buu, destroying the Potala Earrings... This desire to fight a powerful opponent, despite the risks, associated with the spirit of Vegeta; his desire to be the undisputed number 1, had been passed on to Vegetto ...  
Undaunted by this sudden transformation, unlike those of the Universe 16, Broly rushed again at his foe, both excited to see him alive and happy to strike again as he wanted. Broly raised his arms and fists over his head as he attacked Vegetto, whereas the latter said two words before avoiding the blow by flying above the Legendary Warrior.  
"Round two!"  
He flung at Broly and kicked him in the face, which made him look back. Vegetto took the opportunity to give a second kick in the stomach that was unprotected by his opponent, and then went on to a third, a back kick to the face. Before Broly could defend, he rushed at him to fling two quick and accurate shots to the face!  
Buu was a little more content than before this time. Here, slightly surpassing Vegetto, Broly... He did not stay long but it was enough to take a moment... a short amount of time...  
Indeed, after giving several powerful blows, Broly was able to stop Vegetto in his tracks. His hands wrapped around his opponent's head, and he struck his with forehead that of Vegetto. The blow was very violent, but for Broly, it was not enough. Of the two, it was he who suffered least from the impact. He then went on three or four times doing the same thing, drawing in the golden hair of the warrior to bring him back for greater impact. When Broly attempted another attack, he wanted an even stronger one; he bent his head a little further back... the few centimeters between them gave Vegetto the few milliseconds he needed to counterattack: a violent kick under the chin. Broly released his grip and Vegetto retreated a few meters before attacking... just two seconds later.  
His fist went flying... the punch connected with Broly’s jaw also... Another shot by Vegetto connected with his opponent's face... who returned the favor. For once since the beginning of the match, every shot was made, one after the other, for several minutes only powerful hits were launched. They remained at the same spot, no shot was launched by either fighter more than the previous... They were the same power level...  
"The power of these two far exceeds all of ours together!" Vegeta told the others of Universe 18 without missing a crumb of the fighting that took place above him.  
Others were on the far side of the same opinion ... In Universe 16, Gohan told Piccolo, "Dad has never before been beaten at the second level. Even against Bra."  
Indeed, in their universe, and Vegetto and his daughter Bra often fought against one another. Often for a workout... but sometimes because Bra was either angry or upset or... Well in this state of mind there, the opposite. Bra had never been strong enough to force Vegetto to exceed the first level of Super Saiyan...  
This annoyed her a little... the difference between them was visibly greater than she had thought... But for the moment, she said nothing and remained motionless, gazing at the battle of her father, at a level that she had never imagined... Finally, in this way, if she had faced Broly, she would surely have lost... Beside her, Trunks and Goten were both delighted with the power of their father... and disgusted:  
"He's tougher than we expected!" Trunks said.  
"In fact, it sucks for Gotenks, man!" Son Goten added.  
In Universe 18, their counterparts held the same kind of speech.  
"Hey, Broly is much stronger than when we were decked with just two shots, said Trunks."  
"In fact, it sucks for Gotenks, man!" Goten added.  
Another Trunks in the stadium, one of Universe 12, was not especially afraid of the overwhelmingly overpowered two fighters. He had encountered other power values that were almost overwhelming in his time, that of a Super Saiyan 2 Gohan that, from the time when he defeated Cell, he was surprised. Vegetto with this transformation there, far exceeded that of Gohan and his. But it was no more surprising that it eventually... He was told that Vegetto was his "half-father alternative" somehow... He was concerned, that he was to meet his father from Universe 18 in the next round if Vegeta was just twice as strong as Vegetto... the fight would be impossible!  
For a lot of other fighters, the same kind of conclusion fell... Universes 2 and 19, for example, were no longer able to follow the movements of the two fighters for long. Zangya and Bujin from Universe 6 were also in the same situation. They were paralyzed. Bojack could still see them, but not always... He had to admit deep inside that they were much stronger than him and he just appreciated the fact that there was not one or the other of these two fighters in his own universe.  
A lull seemed to suddenly appear: the two warriors were overpowered slightly away from each other. Broly screamed again, and took the opportunity to attack Vegetto. From Vegetto's right hand appeared a glimmer, a concentration of yellowish energy. He immediately launched it at the Legendary Super Saiyan. The explosion was almost as strong as the Big Bang he used previously. Thick brown and white smoke enveloped the monster, which ultimately was not at all affected. Angry, he threw himself at Vegetto with his whole body, leaving the smoke like a demon, arms forward to catch the person he hated and wanted to see suffer. Vegetto didn't have much time to defend himself. In his left hand, a yellow light appeared and he quickly threw it at Broly's head.  
Carried away by his weight, he crushed Vegetto, while they were both covered by the smoke of the explosion. The spectators were able to see more for several seconds ... Only agreed new moves, shock waves, what gave both fighters without seeing. When the smoke cleared enough, the two warriors finally went away, covered with a few scratches here and there.  
Suddenly, Broly and Vegetto rushed towards each other, as if their next punch would make a difference. Howling, both their fists smote one against another. Broly's fist was two times larger than Vegetto, but their strength was the same. The strike violently created a shock wave that everyone in the stadium felt, followed by an explosion caused by the crash and ki auras of two ultimate warriors. It dazzled many spectators and participants protected the eyes, feeling light after a violent blow, like a sudden storm that had just lifted. The few pieces that still managed to ring float exploded and fell to the earth, becoming little more than dust.  
The smoke around the two combatants vanished, still revealing fist against fist. None had yielded a single iota. With the way their eyes met, you would have thought they were fighting! A psychological battle on a physical combat. Broly still indestructible, had no scratches, but burn marks everywhere... Vegetto as well as various minor scratches and his greatest injury was just at the mouth. Blood had flowed a little to the bottom of his jaw. Nothing else could determine who could win. Physical combat was no longer anything ...  
Broly swung slightly, still pushing as he could with his fist to his left hand free, preparing his ki to attack... his famous emerald green wave of energy. At this distance, even Vegetto would be damaged! He quickly retreated and prepared his against attack, which began with the same posture as Kamehameha.  
"Big Bang..." Vegetto then cried a deep blue light appeared in his hands and sent Broly's energy ball at him, screaming. "Kamehameha!"  
With hands stretched forward to attack, Vegetto attacked, much like the Kamehameha, but with a more extraordinary power, right at Broly. The two attacks each impacted for a few seconds and then seemed to combine, and merged to become a mass of light that began to cover the first two fighters before spreading.  
"Look out!" Goku yelled as he turned into Super Saiyan.  
"Piccolo, get behind us!" Gohan said deploying the strength he obtained from the Old Kaioshin, wanting to use it to protect the Namek.  
Around them, other warriors prepared to feel the shock of the two titanic powers. Vegeta and Kakarotto from Universe 13 and Trunks of the 12th Universe, Goten and his friend in Universe 16... they went all Super Saiyan before the light covered the huge stage with an earthquake and loud noise... Finally, a huge explosion was heard.There was a stampede going on amidst the Varga troops in the control center. Orders upon orders were being shouted back and forth less than ten seconds apart. They were in the process of analyzing the technical problem that was preventing them from returning Broly to his cold and empty home. The Vargas were scouring their trans-dimensional machine for any mechanical problem, thinking perhaps some disgruntled employee had cut a wire or that there was some faulty software coding.  
Amid the the tumult of fruitless searches, the highest ranking Vargas and the Namekians continued to watch the fight between Broly and Vegetto. They were fortunate that the fighters were of equal strength or the crazy fighter would have certainly destroyed everything! However, they were both suddenly showing increases in their powers. If one of them increased their powers to greater than their opponent's, it would be all over. One Namekian crossed his fingers hoping that Vegetto would be the winner, he didn't want to die quite yet in that place.  
"Right now, I think Vegetto can contain him," declared a Varga with blue hair, breaking both the heavy silence of those beholding the battle on the monitors and the background noise and chirping of those who sought to find the source of the bug. "But we absolutely have to fix the failure!" the Varga cried to the others, who started to work even harder.  
The wait lasted for several long moments before a small bird finally found the Holy Grail:  
"Found it! It's a part that got burned!" he said with glee, knowing he would surely receive a promotion soon!  
"Replace it! We have to send this Broly dude back... The sooner, the better!" again cried the chief Varga, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead.  
"Big Bang..." Heard everybody in the control room. The voice had resonated out of small speakers... Vegetto was about to attack!  
"Too late!" A Nemekian managed to say as he stepped back, realizing how much this attack's strength exceeded the previous ones.  
The attack that Vegetto launched crashed into Broly with an incredible shock. The explosion that ensued astonished everyone in attendance while simultaneously deafening them. Everybody stole a view whether on the monitors or through large bay windows. The shield protecting the spectators withstood the shock for a moment, before yielding slightly.  
Everybody felt that the energy should not affect them through the shields, they would not let energy through... However Uub sensed it a little better than the rest:  
"The energy is piercing through the shield! The spectators are going to be harmed!" He cried to nobody in particular.  
At least if one of the Vargas could hear him maybe they could increase the power of the shield... but nobody could really hear each other anymore due to the din of the attack.  
Uub quickly looked around him. There were people here who were not going to be fighting, and children too. There was Pan, and Videl standing behind Bra... He had to protect them. It's what Goku would have done!  
Placing himself between the girls and the duo of Trunks and Goten he stretched him hands out before him, let out a cry, and concentrated part of his ki to create a shield around them. He obviously could not protect the whole stadium like that, but if even a hundred people could avoid being hurt thanks to him that would be good.  
Uub stood firm: the bulk of the blast was finally losing power and was actually a little less dangerous than he had believed. The Vargas' shields ultimately resisted, only allowing a small surplus of energy through.In the control center, the same conclusion was reached. A Varga had just finished informing his superiors.  
"The protective fields held up but the 1% of energy that went through stunned and hurt the spectators. Send healers right away." Ordered the chief Varga.  
"Yes boss." Could be heard as three little birds began to run as fast as their furry little legs would carry them to quickly fetch the Namekians and inform them of the orders.  
The spectators were definitely getting their money's worth. The majority were still in a good mood, enjoying the incredible spectacle. Few of them were severely in the end... The other fighters were starting to comment:  
"Such power!" Exclaimed Kakarotto of Universe 13, still clutching his fists as a Super Saiyan. "Lucky I won't see him til the end!"  
Beside him, Vegeta was enraged.  
"Rah..." He grunted while shaking his right fist in anger at the sight of power greater than his.  
Behind them, Raditz and Nappa, who were not Super Saiyans, had been forcefully swept away by the explosion, and were smashed into the wall. They had tried to resist, but were easily dragged backwards, as evidenced by the marks on the floor, before being literally lifted off the floor.  
Not far from them, in Cell's balcony, his junior had suffered a similar fate, and because of his size and slow reflexes was now also embedded in the wall.  
"Impossible..." Cell almost whispered while keeping his eyes glued to the starry sky above, where there was currently nothing to see.  
"Huge..." Said Buu from Universe 4. He had known what to expect was was still quite surprised.  
Many, like Bojack and Tapion, thought the same thing. Others had questions to pose...  
"Are you okay Piccolo? Gohan asked his former teacher whom he had protected.  
"Yes, of course." Said the Namekian, "But..."  
"Did they survive? Or..." Interjected Son Goku, interested in the future of Vegetto and Broly... Piccolo and Vegeta crossed their arms, waiting and searching for the ki of both fighters.  
"So that's the power you've been hiding, dad!" Bra from Universe 16 said with a smile, while in Super Saiyan form. She was proud to be his daughter, and also quite surprised.  
In the command center, the new data controller was informing his superiors:  
"We've spotted the two fighters! Each of them is in the opposite direction within thousands of miles!"  
"So far? They've traveled that far?" Marveled a Namekian next to them. "Are they alive?" He asked after his surprise had passed.  
"I'll check..."  
On one side of space Broly opened his eyes, muttering:  
"Kakarotto..."  
He had hit a big meteor during his flight, and had completely broken through it, although it did manage to slow him a bit. When he hit a second asteroid, it managed to withstand the shock. His body still smoking, he exploded with anger as he launched himself toward the stadium, which was less than a two minute flight away for him, taking care to break the rest of the asteroid apart during his departure.Broly was accustomed to travel in space. The sudden lack of oxygen and pressure was no longer a surprise for him. This happened all the time when he destroyed a planet or solar system ...  
Trunks from Universe 12 was helping a spectator up. He was one of the ones who had fallen into their balcony when the shield had been damage and landed quite close to the young man with the sword.  
"You okay?" he asked as he detected Broly's ki approaching. He quickly ushered the spectator back to the stands, groggy but uninjured, and then informed #16 of what he sensed.  
"Broly's ki is coming back to us very fast," said Trunks about the Legendary Super Saiyan.  
"And once again his power exceeds Vegetto's. As for him, he's not budging." Responded #16.  
"Dead?" Trunks asked suddenly.  
"No. He slowed down and then stopped in the middle of space..."  
Indeed, Vegetto was alive and well aware. He had allowed himself to drift for a moment; looking at stars, smiling and overall feeling good. This fight was spectacular for him. A dream! Never before had he been tired out...  
Buu had also detected Vegetto's stop. He knew him to be perfectly alive. He knew that for him to not return immediately to the ring he must be exhausted. Buu thought:  
"Well done, Vegetto... You're exhausted and he is back at you. I understand you wanted to have fun. Oh sure, I understand... But what are you going to do now that your new power has been surpassed by Broly's? By wanting to play too much, you put yourself in danger, I know the feeling well. Twenty years ago, you almost destroyed me because I was not careful... And you will be destroyed because your attack wasn't strong enough. I thought you were more cautious than that, but I see that is not the case."  
He concluded: "I'll have to end this fight myself, it'll be a real pleasure. And when you're back on your feet, I'll crush you next!"  
His plan was perfect, there could be no hitch in it... Suddenly Vegetto's ki appeared very close. He had used instant transmission.  
"There he is!" Bra was looking up to see her father. First she smiled, then she was surprised to see the state her father was in.  
"Dad! He... He is wounded!" Gohan said aloud.  
"Thinking of it, the last time Vegetto got injured, it was when... It never happened! Vegetto has never been hurt since he was born! Never!" Piccolo added in surprise.

Vegetto had scratches on his body, there was dried blood everywhere, and his clothes were torn in places. However, the warrior did not seem to have lost his desire to fight... Still in Super Saiyan 2, he kept a keen eye in the direction of Broly, who continued his mad dash toward him.  
"Thanks for the fight, Broly. I don't think I'll have a stronger foe with such power ever again! But we have to put an end to this... Your power keeps increasing and I can't protect them all."  
In the Universe 18 balcony, the group was wondering what to do:  
"Broly's power has increased again... And it's higher than Vegetto's now!"  
"Maybe we should have helped him when there was still time." Goku said to the Namekian.  
"Let's go!" Said Gohan while powering up, a white aura surrounding him. "If we work together we can still help Vegetto! If we wait, we will definitely be destroyed!"  
"I don't see any use, but you're right." Said Piccolo. Although he looked tense, he was brave and started to remove his turban.  
"No, we'll stay here." Goku suddenly objected.  
"I agree," Vegeta said, "nobody from Universe 16 is acting, so we will not intervene. Too bad for them if Vegetto is defeated. And I have no desire to fight in their place."  
"But if Vegetto is beaten, we're all dead!" Gohan argued before stopping because someone had begun talking to him... in his mind. It was Piccolo... from Universe 16!  
"Gohan, do not intervene. Have faith in us."  
That was all. Gohan looked at Piccolo from his universe, then turned to the one from Universe 16, who was watching him. Bra and he, and Goten and Trunks were all trusting in Vegetto. Gohan turned... He did not seem to want to give up...  
"If Piccolo trusts in Vegetto," spoke Goku, "then I will not intervene."  
Vegeta smiled. It was what he wanted. Piccolo returned his turban and Gohan let his aura dim.  
They would be all right. If Vegetto still had confidence, then they all too would share this mindset.  
Yet in Universe 16's balcony, Bra and Gohan looked on. They certainly trusted Vegetto, but they had never seen him more powerful... They wondered what he might have left in his reserves. After all, although he had been able to fight back while in his Super Saiyan 2 form... With the power he had not, he could not hope to defeat Broly...  
Vegetto finally moved. He spread his arms, his palms open and fingers extended.  
"Until now, I've never shown this power to anyone... Aaahhhh!" He cried, amost in pain, bringing out all the energy he had.  
A very blinding light seemed to emerge from the body of Vegetto, again dazzling all the spectators and participants. The Vargas detected a huge energy spike, which continued to climb. The Namekian giant from Universe 7, which until then had not moved except to blink from time to time, covered his eyes and was actually impressed by the force gushing forth... A force nobody seemed to be able to match!  
Vegetto screamed. As he increased his aura, numerous and powerful lighting bolts showed off not just his strength but his sheer will. Still in some pain... Vegetto's hair began to lengthen as his eyebrows were disappearing... And his muscle mass doubled!  
Vegetto completed his transformation... into a Super Saiyan 3!  
Vegetto, now a Super Saiyan 3, had increased his power tenfold. Damn, he was even stronger than Broly, who was flying towards the stadium at breakneck speed. Yet the Saiyan continued his efforts, still screaming, and further increased his already enormously phenomenal strength.  
"Such... such power!" Stammered the East Kaio Shin.  
"It exceeds Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan! This is dangerous!" Said the woman next to him.  
"Let's hope he doesn't become crazy with such power!" Continued the North Kaio Shin while sweating.  
On their left, in space 2, the participants and spectators were still more astounded by these powers than all that had proceeded. Arale was amused and applauded the superb lightning effects on Vegetto's body, as if it were a big fireworks display.  
"Too cool!" She said with a wide smile, not realizing that in this tournament she was outmatched since the very beginning.  
Near the group from Universe 2, Tapion was far from enjoying the yellow and blue light show issued by the fighter in the middle of the stadium.  
"Fortunately he's not in the same half of the draw as me... Surely I will meet him in the final though... I guess I will hope he gets disqualified in the meantime... But where does he come from, this Super Saiyan?"  
He left his sentence unfinished... He could not solve this riddle alone. Even more than his origin, the question that was on his mind was: could he defeat his crazy opponent?  
Vegetto's power began to stagnate. In space 11, Babidi cried at Buu for supporting what his little mind was calling "good magic". Behind them, Dabra was still dying... Why was he taking so long to go to other world! He was growing increasing exasperated at the gnome wizard Babidi.  
Near them, a half-breed Saiyan-Human was surprised:  
"What is this? Another level of Super Saiyan? This is the same transformation Son Goku used earlier," Trunks said to #16, "this is amazing!"  
"Vegetto's power has become stable," the android said quietly. But Trunks had already imagined something else:  
"If my father has reached this level, I'm done for... Anyway, even if..."  
He didn't have time to finish his thought before #16 cut him off:  
"There is still a chance... Hang in there."Hardly had he finished his sentence when Trunks suddenly felt lighter. Something was drawing him up... was the gravity of the asteroid defective? #16 managed to not move an inch, probably through a system in his feet that allowed him to stick to a surface one way or another. Trunks stayed on the ground by using his ki, as if flying. Only his hair seemed to be affected as it was stretched toward the heavens at its full length. Behind Trunks, the guy who had already fallen could not keep himself lowered into the stands. He was raised up and drifted away until he reached the edge of the stands, which he grabbed onto as he hung just above the space for Universe 12.  
In Universe 8, the silvery-white haired Jeece was drifting too, as was King Cold's cloak.  
"Hey! What's happening?" Cried the latter, looking at the ground as if his feet were holding it up instead of the other way around.  
"We're starting to levitate!" Shouted back Jeece in answer to the question.  
Around them, sand and pieces of ring floated away... as did thousands of the girls skirts from the stands as they were forced to choose between clinging to something in order to not fly away and concealing what the skirt was supposed to hide.  
Videl from Universe 9 did not have this concern, for she was not wearing a skirt, rather military style pants. Along with Trunks, she preferred to return to the entrance of their space. At least from there, they would not be lifted away, even if the force of the pull increased dramatically. Looking short next to the taller, and younger, Tien and Yamcha, Kulilin looked up and said:  
"We knew we could be strong enough to shake the earth," as he fought to maintain his footing, "but not enough to become a new center of gravity!"  
The new force of gravity was slightly stronger than the old. In the control tower, which at this point had been damaged and bent, the tiny Vargas were being pulled by it easily. They clung to anything within their reach, including Namekian pants.  
"It's tilting!" Said a Varga who was being pulled towards the broken bay window.  
"Quack! The ground is moving... Maybe the artificial gravity of the ring is going wrong?"  
Great, another problem! As if it wasn't bad enough that they couldn't send Broly back, now they had to deal with a malfunctioning gravity unit!  
"No! There is a new center of gravity! Vegetto is drawing us to him!" Cried a Varga who was clinging to the back of his chair. This position gave him a view of his control screen, which he was currently reading and conveying to the rest.  
"We must do something!" Shouted a Namekian in return.The Varga commenced pounding on the keyboard in an attempt to solve the problem... Outside, people flew towards Vegetto... Causing many of the tournament participants to take the initiative in coming to their aid. Goku was the first to begin ushering spectators back to the stands, and was soon joined by Gohan, who had detoured to check on his wife and daughter.  
"It's getting risky here!" Yelled Pan, observing the many people in the sky who had no knowledge of flying technique.  
"I will help Son Goku!" Uub declared as he appeared at his mentors side, and then quickly proceeded to catch several people.  
"Yamcha, Tien, help them..." Said Kulilin from space 9 as he looked at his two friends. It bothered him to assign people under his duty to help Saiyans, but some of them intrigued him. Obviously, these ones were not so "bad"... at least when compared to the others who didn't move at all: namely those from Universe 13 who stood watching Vegetto.  
"What is he?" Raditz murmured. This was a whole new level of power!  
"we're completely out of our league!" Added Nappa, trembling.  
Beside them, in the space for Universe 14, #17 and #18 were not panicking at all. Instead the boy was playing... He was poking his head towards his sister, taunting her, and she did not hesitate to give him a kick to the face. Sometimes she was ashamed of him...  
During this, the mother of I'K'L had thought she was close to giving birth, but realized that the change in gravity was actually reversing the process: her child was now well receded into her belly.  
"Ladies and gentlemen!" The voice of the Varga could be heard throughout the stadium, "The artificial gravity of the arena is being increased for you to stay on the ground. Please try to hang on to something! Sorry for the inconvenience."  
The baby I'K'L settled without being born fortunately. #17 fell on his head, which wasn't too bad. As for the guy suspended above the space for Universe 12, he landed next to Trunks once again.  
Those who had been helping return people to the stands were finally able to retreat to their own spaces, and turned their heads toward Vegetto, the source of all this commotion.  
"Vegetto has generated so much power that his mass has increased!" Theorized Trunks in the space for Universe 16, "Scientifically, it's a bit far-fetched!"  
"This is crazy. Vegetto must have the same mass as the moon. His density is close to that of a black hole." Son Gohan informed the rest in a simple way, mostly for the benefit of his father.  
"Wooaah..." He gasped.  
Vegetto smiled. He was pleased with himself and the effect he had produced throughout the arena.  
"Hehe!" He said, thinking ahead of their reactions to what he would do next.  
After generating massive power, Vegetto opened his left and right palms, stretching his arms outward as two balls of light similar to suns formed!  
The warriors of Universe 19 attempted to understand the phenomenon, but it simply wouldn't compute, there was no logical explanation. Even Eleim's idea that Vegetto could have nano-components within his body was flawed. How could his body withstand such a discharge of energy and heat? Not to mention the theoretically huge number of nano-circuits he would have to have to contain in his blood to generate two mini-suns. It was impossible. If they had a Saiyan back home in order to study, surely their technology would increase in a sudden and dramatic way... But how to capture such a warrior?  
In the space for Universe 7, the giant Namekian kept his eyes closed and arms folded. Why open your eyes to be blinded? He could feel things without seeing them anyway. And with such a release of energy from Vegetto, he couldn't miss it if he tried. In this instance, it was such a terrible attack that he knew it could certainly tear him limb-from-limb.  
Cell thought exactly the same thing:  
"If he attacked me with such power, I would be completely annihilated! There would be no chance of my core remaining in tact!"  
Vegetto finally moved. He clasped his outstretched arms in front of himself and skywards towards Broly. The two huge balls of light joined, coalescing into a single giant blast surrounded by blue lighting, in similar fashion to the warrior who was now shouting the name of his final technique as he gave it everything he had:  
"Final Dragon Flash!"  
The aura that surrounded him flashed wildly as his hair flew backward and a wide beam of energy flew at the speed of light towards Broly. Again, a ball of energy formed at the end of the beam to reveal the head of a dragon, which was also surrounded by lightning. He was similar to Shenron, but it was obviously not him. The dragon, mouth open, rushed still faster toward the Legendary Super Saiyan, who stopped short in surprise. The dragon was much bigger than him, and he could feel its colossal energy coming at him full speed. There was no way to escape, the distance was too small and it was traveling too quickly...

The dragon seemed to be chewing on Broly as he screamed in pain. Just because he was invincible did not mean he didn't feel anything. It was a giant mass of energy now holding him prisoner. He couldn't move at all.  
The dragon traveled deep into space, eventually losing its form, becoming a simple ball of energy pushing Broly farther and farther away, which he could do nothing about. Almost as usual, he had been forcefully ejected while screaming the name of his adversary:  
"Kkh... Ka... Ka... Rot... tooooo!"  
The arena was suddenly overcome with almost complete silence. Indeed the only thing moving at all was Vegetto's aura.  
"It's monstrous!" Prince Vegeta of Universe 13 finally managed to exclaim, still stunned by such an obscene power he never seen before.  
"Incredible! Bravo!" Congratulated Son Goku, more joyful than surprised.  
Vegetto calmed down, took a deep breath, and regained his natural form. His golden hair again turned black and became shorter. His muscles relaxed, and drops of sweat beaded his entire body. He wiped his forehead with his left glove.  
"Phew"  
"Him..." Began the East Kaio Shin, "He is... Invincible."  
In contrast to this state of surprise and almost fear, someone else was going crazy:  
"Super! Super! Encore!" Shouted Majin Buu from Universe 11. He would soon be reprimanded by Babidi.An announcement was quickly made by the Vargas:  
"It's been 30 seconds that Broly is away from our eyesight! Vegetto from Universe 16 wins the fight!"  
Bra from the same universe commented dryly:  
"Of course he wins... Can't we all see that?"  
Cell, in the space next to them, was just beginning to recover:  
"He is stronger than me... For sure! But I can't give up! I am Cell!"  
The others, however, may have been very close to forfeiting. Those from Universe 8, at least those who remained in the competition, stood staring, mouth agape, at Vegetto. They could not believe it. It must be a dream! No, a nightmare! The hoped they would wake up soon!  
The Vargas soon made a new announcement:  
"We begin a small break to give time to our Nameks healers so they can take care of everyone. Please bear with us..."  
Indeed, a break would be very welcome...Vegetto had defeated Broly!  
He was the first winner of the first round’s second half!  
Throughout the spectator section of the Multiverse Tournament’s arena, hundreds of Nameks were in the midst of roaming throughout the crowd, caring for those who had endured minor injuries as a result of falling from the points in the air at which they had been as a result of Vegetto’s Super Saiyan 3 transformation warping the gravity in the vicinity.  
However, the vast majority of those who had been injured felt quite ecstatic.  
“It was great!” said one of them.  
“Whoa! That was a great fight!” said another.  
“Now I know what it’s like to fly!” said another, who then began to sedulously pour hot sauce onto one of his refreshments while a Namek was in the process of healing his leg.  
“The excitement of that fight was grandiose!” said yet another.  
“It almost blinded me, but it was worth it!” said another, who then wondered if the Vargas were going to be creating merchandise related to the fighters of the tournament, as he wanted to add a mug with Vegetto on it to his vast collection.  
Among the fighters from across the universes, many shared the general sense of inspired awe and had been humbled by the experience, while others considered all they had seen to have been ineffably discouraging.  
For some of those who had been discouraged, they recognized that it would be highly unlikely for them to achieve even one-thousandth of the strength of either of the two Super Saiyans who had fought in the most recently completed match.  
However, many of the fighters indeed viewed the experience rather positively, especially those among the winner’s family, friends, and counterparts from other realms.  
“What do you think, Dad?” Gohan of Universe 18 asked his father.  
“It was … amazing!” Goku said.  
“Vegetto seems much stronger than I’d thought he’d be,” Gohan said. “Are you at all surprised?”  
“When Vegeta and I fused in our own universe with the Potara Earings, we didn’t push ourselves nearly that far,” Goku said. “Against Buu, even after he absorbed you, Goten, Piccolo and Trunks, our own Vegetto was able to overshadow Buu’s power even after just transforming into his basic form of Super Saiyan. At the time, there was no reason for us to try transforming further.”  
The two warriors remained in silent contemplation for a few moments.  
Goku reflected upon his memories of the brief time in which he had been part of his own universe’s Vegetto, and he remembered that all those years ago, after they had fused, a part of Vegetto’s personality attributable to Vegeta had felt compelled to exert his full power to experience the maximum extent of the fused warrior’s newfound capabilities. Vegeta at the time had still fervently strived to be the ultimate warrior in the universe, and the opportunity to surpass the basic form of Super Saiyan, as Vegeta and Goku had done, had been tempting for Vegetto.  
It was quite possible that had Vegetto of Universe 18 had more time to fight Buu, he would have demonstrated his Super Saiyan 2 strength, and for all Goku knew, Vegetto of Universe 16 had done so in his own fight with Buu from that universe.  
Now, however, Vegeta did not significantly care about whether he was his universe’s strongest fighter. Without considering Gohan’s strength, Goku knew that Vegeta was satisfied with being at least the second-strongest.  
Goku wondered, though, what would happen if he and Vegeta fused again. 20 years had passed since they had fought Buu as Vegetto, and as they each now were stronger than they had been then, he wondered if upon a second fusion, they could collectively surpass Vegetto of Universe 16.  
In any case, Goku was extremely proud of Vegetto, as defeating Broly was a legendary accomplishment itself.  
While Goku finished reflecting upon these considerations, the occupant of the Fourth Universe Balcony also expressed congratulations to the fused warrior. Even though Vegetto was about to land in the 16th Universe Balcony, Buu spoke aloud even so.  
“Well done, Vegetto,” Buu said. “I wasn’t expecting a match of such intensity. You’ve impressed me, … truly.”  
He looked toward the 16th Universe Balcony and noticed that others were doing so as well, for many sought to congratulate Vegetto for his achievement.  
“As everyone else is relatively occupied celebrating your victory or fixing that which was damaged, it seems that I have acquired the liberty to venture away from the arena for a brief while,” Buu said, right before suddenly disappearing from the arena, without anyone noticing his departure.  
Vegetto was in the midst of emphasizing to his family and friends that he was comparatively fine when a Namek healer arrived in the 16th Universe Balcony.  
“Would you like to be healed?” the Namek asked.  
“No thanks,” Vegetto said. “Namekian healing isn’t enough for me anymore, but no worries! We have Senzu beans!”


	3. The Tournament Goes On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you enjoying it so far? tell me in the comments!!

The Namek healer remained for a few moments just to make sure that Vegetto was actually alright, and Piccolo then opened up a bag of Senzus so Vegetto could benefit from their remarkable restorative nature.At an extremely far distance from the arena, on a small, remote asteroid in the vastness of the cosmos, something – or rather, someone – suddenly appeared.  
He was mostly pink in coloration and was dressed in white trousers, with forearm pieces and boots of black and yellow. Despite the billions of years that had passed since the asteroid had been formed, this was the first time a sentient being at set foot on it, and it also would likely be the last time.  
Buu looked out into relative infinity, toward the glistening stars whose appearances echoed across time.  
‘Ah yes, … that’s the general direction in which I need to concentrate,’ Buu thought to himself.  
He was looking for something specific ... something moving very fast and that he ineffably wanted.  
He wanted it even more than another of his incarnations wanted candy.  
He wanted it more than almost everything else he had ever wanted before, and while he had acquired similar elements of excellence in past years, it had been so long since he’d had an opportunity of this significance.  
‘The Instantaneous Movement technique I acquired from Kibitoshin is still quite useful,’ Buu thought to himself.  
The technique had enhanced his versatility considerably, as he was even more unbound by constraints of space and time than Goku had been with Instant Transmission. Buu knew that while Instant Transmission was a more limited technique than Instantaneous Movement because Instant Transmission requires the user to focus on an energy signature of a target before being able to travel toward it, wielders of Instantaneous Movement can go wherever they desire, even remote places without detectable energy signatures.  
Buu continued to scan the relative direction of space he was facing until he suddenly determined he had made an important detection.  
“Am I close enough?” Buu asked himself. “Yes … I found the energy of the attack that pushed Broly farther out into space!”  
With a grin, Buu teleported again, this time with the Instant Transmission technique, to reach his destination.At the Multiverse Tournament arena, Vegetto had a startling revelation.  
“Where is he?” Vegetto asked with great seriousness, as he looked toward the Fourth Universe Balcony and confirmed that its supposed occupant was indeed not there.  
The fused Saiyan then placed his right index and center fingers to his forehead and began to use his energy-sensing capabilities to search for Buu across the cosmos.  
“Where is who?” Piccolo asked, while continuing to hold the bag of Senzu beans with his left hand.  
“I’ve found him,” Vegetto said. “Follow me.”  
Vegetto then transmitted away from the arena, leaving Piccolo, Bra, and the others of Universe 16 still in their universe balcony.  
“Follow him?” Piccolo asked, with alarm.  
“What does he expect us to do?” Gohan asked. “We don’t even know where he went!”  
Gohan felt exasperated as to what had happened, as this was not the first time that Vegetto had instant transmitted to a location and asked others to follow him, despite the fact they still did not know the technique.  
However, Bra was quite aware of how to perform Instant Transmission, and while she was not quite ready to leave the arena herself, she placed her left index and center fingers to her forehead in an attempt to locate her father.Buu emerged from Instant Transmission in the middle of relatively nowhere, although a bright ball of energy was radiant in form.  
It was not a star, but rather, the remnant of Vegetto’s Final Dragon Flash, and within the sphere was Broly himself.  
Although Broly was unconscious inside the sphere, he still was in his Legendary Super Saiyan form, which had probably saved him from being killed.  
‘That’s the beauty of relative speed,’ Buu thought to himself. ‘You are now motionless from my point of view.’  
The analysis was reflective of an advanced understanding of physics, for Buu had acquired an enormous breadth of scientific knowledge as a result of absorbing many highly intelligent beings from across Universe 4. It was true that emergence from teleportation had the effect of giving the user the speed of the reference point which he had transmitted toward. With no atmosphere to slow them down, both fighters, and therefore the energy ball as well, were racing in a vacuum at the same speed.  
‘It's been years since I have found someone worthy of being absorbed, ...’ Buu thought to himself, while savoring his memories of past physical and mental adjustments.  
With evolutions of mind and body had come evolutions of purpose.  
Buu was a being who had been created for the purpose of destruction. He was intended to be a manifestation of obliteration, surpassing the gods in capability. His creator’s focus on annihilation had been so absolute that Buu had not been gifted with the ability to properly speak.  
But then, with the progression of time and his ventures through space, he gained an identity and embraced the value of true consciousness and sentience.  
Absorbing all whom he had absorbed had enabled him to truly have intelligence, tactics, and rational technique, ... he was now an entity who cherished the blessing of being able to think for himself, and loathed his residual memories of when his other incarnations had been treated like enslaved robots.  
What was his destiny?  
He wanted to somehow become the true embodiment of perfection.  
He knew quite a lot about Cell and all he had sought to achieve, and Buu wanted to become better than Cell had ever been.  
Cell had gained his supposed ‘perfect’ form through absorbing two cyborgs, and while Cell could augment his strength over time, the process of doing this was by no means as efficient as outright absorbing entities as Buu could.  
Buu recognized that this was one of the many ways in which he was more capable than Cell, and he relished the knowledge of this.  
But to become the most knowledgeable being his universe had ever known, yes, … this had become his ultimate dream, to be not just the embodiment of perfect physical capability, but the unparalleled master of the mind.  
With his newfound knowledge of other universes, though, the hope to reach an extent of knowledge greater than that experienced by anyone else among all the universes was becoming an even greater goal he was tempted to achieve.  
This was the entity whom Buu had become, an aspirant for the divine who dedicated himself to researching methods and practices of achieving absolute perfection of body and mind.  
He knew that with absorbing Broly, he would be able to further his quest for the paramount of existence.  
‘You should feel honored that I consider you to be worthy of absorption!’ Buu thought, while looking toward Broly. ‘Now, how am I going to free you from this energy ball?’  
While thinking with celerity of several effective ways to achieve this goal, someone suddenly appeared, eager to thwart his goals.  
Again.  
I knew it!  
The voice echoed in his head.  
Vegetto had emerged from Instant Transmission and now was in front of Buu.  
However, Vegetto could neither breathe nor survive very long in space. He had surrounded himself with a thin energy shield that was protecting him from the temperature and pressure conditions of space, which were inauspicious for organic life.  
Without air, neither Vegetto nor Buu could not speak normally, and they instead were using telepathy …  
What? How the heck did you find me? Buu psychically asked.  
Buu was furious. Although he was so close to greater perfection, the Universe 16 counterpart of the warrior he had fought 20 years ago was attempting to prevent his progress!  
Oh, I had detected that you had needed to teleport twice to get here, and through sensing his energy, I never lost track of Broly, Vegetto psychically said.  
‘So, I was under his surveillance after all,’ Buu thought to himself. ‘I should have expected that he would attempt to assert himself as an enforcer of his ideals across the multiverse.’  
You can’t attack him, Vegetto psychically said. The rules are clear. Rules? Buu psychically asked. We are millions of kilometers away from the arena! The rules of the tournament can’t be enforced here!  
Majin Buu, I destroyed you once, and I can do it again, Vegetto psychically said. You will not absorb Broly!  
‘A threat? How arrogant!’ Buu thought to himself. ‘He is nothing more than a vigilante!’  
And what are you going to do? Buu psychically asked. I’m already certain I can beat you, but a weakened version of you? Your pathetic challenge won’t even make me laugh!  
Vegetto did not respond to the taunt.  
Their eyes met, focusing on each other’s intentions and thoughts. A small psychological battle began to rage.  
Buu was very sure of himself. He had seen what had appeared to be Vegetto’s complete power as a Super Saiyan 3 during the fight, but had he really seen the full extent? Buu doubted that Vegetto had in any way restrained himself toward the end of Broly, as it had seemed abundantly clear at the time that Vegetto had intended to ensure that Broly would be defeated.Vegetto also was still quite injured and exhausted, as he had not eaten as Senzu bean when he had possessed the chance. It seemed to Buu that for now, he would not have to consider the possibility of Vegetto exerting a greater power than he had exhibited during his fight with Broly.  
Buu also wondered, especially because of Vegetto’s current state, where his reinforcements were, and if he had asked them to join him at all.  
What kind of a fight do you expect to realistically offer me? Buu psychically asked. How much time can you spend in space without breathing?  
Buu smiled, as he sensed that Vegetto recognized that his weakened powers were at the moment no match for Buu’s own.  
I would prefer to fight you for real, when you can challenge me at your greatest level of capability! Buu psychically said. You can’t even imagine the powers I now possess!  
Vegetto’s eyebrows arched for half a second as a result of the destructive energy he had psychically manifested. With that quick effort, he destroyed a small part of Buu’s body that he had voluntarily separated from his own leg in a covert attempt to absorb Broly.  
Buu was surprised by this performance, but he quickly refocused his attention.  
You saw that I was discretely moving a part of myself toward Broly! I had thought you would be distracted by my comments, but you were not! Well done! Buu psychically said. I guess we can’t catch you by surprise, Vegetto. And although I am unconcerned by this, it’s also unsurprising that you’ve mastered the only technique that can destroy me.  
Indeed, no energy ball had actually destroyed the part of Buu that he had deployed for his insidious plan to absorb Broly. Even if Buu’s structural material was burned, shredded, or scattered, he always managed to regenerate. Vegetto was unaware of the fact that a Spirit Bomb was capable of permanently eradicating Buu, as per the different course of his universe’s history in comparison to that of Universe 18.  
However, in his own universe, he had learned to swiftly project a very powerful concentration of energy that could thoroughly disintegrate Buu. During a portion of their struggle 20 years ago, a portion that had taken place in the same way in Universes 4, 16 and 18, Vegetto had demonstrated a more rudimentary version of this technique.  
In Buu’s twenty years of life since then, no one else had been able to attack him with a technique of that effective design.  
Despite Vegetto’s demonstration of the technique, Buu was purposely exuding confidence. He was endeavoring to show his opponent, as he had shown others, that nothing was necessarily preordained, and that he had a secret weapon, a net benefit, that he could use at any time. This usually inspired fear, or at least a slight destabilization in an opponent’s psyche. But Vegetto remained virtually nonchalant at Buu’s apparent confidence. He knew the main characteristics of Buu, and although he knew Buu had likely evolved much in 20 years, he knew to be prepared for anything.  
Buu slowly parted his arms, opened his hands and grinned. Then, the outline of his body seemed to become blurred. He moved subtly, which gave him a somewhat transient form, instead of being clearly perceivable.Buu then exerted his energy in various directions, scattering hundreds of fragments of his body, with some moving toward Vegetto and others moving toward Broly. Each fragment took the shape of Buu’s face and seemed to move independently!  
Behold, Vegetto! Can you destroy each of these parts of me? Buu psychically taunted.  
Vegetto reacted with haste and transformed into his basic Super Saiyan form, rapidly firing energy blasts into the fragments of Buu that were beginning to encircle him. With significant alacrity, Buu seemed to be creating as many heads he had cells in his body ... not infinite in number but something that many across the universes would consider to be unlimited.  
Vegetto knew, despite the challenge, that he would do everything he possibly could to destroy all the fragments of Buu ...  
In the 16th Universe Balcony of the Multiverse Tournament arena, Bra was still in the midst of attempting to sense her father across the vastness of the universe in which the tournament was being held.  
“I can’t find him!” she said to her brother Gohan and Piccolo.  
“Search in this direction,” Piccolo said, while pointing in the direction toward which the Final Dragon Flash had been emitted. “That’s the direction in which Broly was carried away. I don’t see where else your father would go.”  
Gohan nodded, with a sweat drop almost falling down his cheek. If Broly was about ...  
Gohan interrupted that path of thought upon a sudden revelation, and he turned to look toward the Fourth Universe Balcony.  
Buu was not there!  
He imagined all sorts of scenarios to explain the mutual absence of Buu, his father, and Broly.  
Imagining the worst, Gohan looked at his half-sister and hoped that she would be able to find her father quickly, before it was too late ...  
The Vargas in the arena’s main control room had not predicted that any of the Multiverse Tournament’s competitors would choose to fight outside the arena. They especially had not anticipated that any battles would occur millions of kilometers away.  
One of the main reasons the Vargas had not forseen this circumstance was that they had not imagined that any of the competitors would be foolish enough to break one of the tournament’s precise cardinal rules, that each tournament participant, when not in an official match, is “forbidden to fight, even far from the arena.”  
The Vargas had clarified with the participants before the start of the tournament that such a violation of the Multiverse Tournament’s rules could result in not just an infringing participant’s disqualification from the tournament, but disqualification of all other competitors from that participant’s universe, with all members of that universe forced to return there.  
However, the Vargas were thoroughly unaware of the present conflict between Vegetto and Buu in space, especially since they rationally had not thought there to be a legitimate reason to install surveillance cameras millions of kilometers away from the location of the tournament.  
The Vargas had, however, monitored Broly’s trajectory for a few minutes, but after the brief observation, they had redirected their attention toward coordinating repairs of the arena and healing those who had been wounded as a result of the fight between Vegetto and Broly.  
One of the Vargas, who was wearing a red shirt with blue overalls, but who was sporting a white bandana instead of a red cap, then returned to the main control room while holding a few metallic items with his right hand.  
“I’ve got the spare parts!” he said, right before using his left hand to wipe away some of the sweat from his forehead, as he had arrived after running from a storage room that was relatively far from the main control room.  
This particular Varga was considered to be an especially gifted technician among his people, and he was especially familiar with the mechanics of multiverse teleportation technology. The other Vargas were eager for him to repair the mechanism that had failed to return Broly to Universe 20, and the technician began his preliminary diagnostics for the mechanism.   
“I can repair this thing in about five minutes,” he said, after relaxing his breathing, which still was somewhat heavy from the run.  
“Please do so as quickly as possible,” said another Varga, who was the principal supervisor of the main control room’s personnel. “We need to return that monster back to his universe sooner rather than later.”  
The supervisor remained somewhat quiet while the mechanic further worked. With Broly ostensibly far from the arena, he felt somewhat safer than he had minutes ago, which also was true of many of his fellow Varga. However, as he did not want to be overconfident with his greater sense of security, he was especially eager for no one to interfere with the technician’s work.  
The technician opened part of the command console to reveal a cluster of circuits, of which there were 15 different bright colors among them. Although he did not possess design schematics for this particular unit, he was applying his significant knowledge of advanced technological engineering to the situation.  
A Namek approached the supervisor while the technician was in the midst of his nimble work.  
“Sir, it seems that the next randomly selected match will not occur because one of the fighters left with the others from his universe,” the Namek said.  
“Lumaca from Universe 10, right?” the supervisor asked.  
“Yes, and unfortunately, this is the fourth scheduled fight so far that – “  
“I know,” the supervisor said, interrupting him. “But we should announce anyway that Lumaca forfeited. That will keep the audience’s attention focused on speculation regarding whom the next contenders will be, while we continue to work on fixing the multiverse transfer device.”  
The Namek then nodded his head in affirmation of the supervisor’s desires and walked toward two other Vargas. They were speaking with one of the tournament’s four-armed announcers with sunglasses, who seemed distraught.  
“We don’t want to go near the arena anymore!” the announcer said. “When many good fellows of my species and I agreed to help announce this tournament, we hadn’t realized that we would be putting our lives in such risk! We’ve lost enough of our brethren, and we no longer want to risk our lives through being close to the arena and all those energy blasts. If it wasn’t for your promise to revive everyone after the end of the tournament, we would be having a very different conversation right now.”  
The announcer was especially afraid of what might further happen because so many of his fellow announcers had been killed by Broly’s erratic attacks and he was uncertain of what the other fighters, in their upcoming matches, might unleash.  
“We’ll need to replace you with someone else,” one Varga quietly said.  
“Actually, after we bring all the announcers inside, we can announce the tournament ourselves from right here,” the second Varga said. “We can use the main control room’s microphone, which is connected to the stadium’s speaker array, to broadcast everything, and we’ll be able to see what’s happening through our electronic visual enhancers.”  
“This could have saved much bloodshed,” the announcer said.  
“We apologize for what happened, but remember, we’ll bring them back with the Dragon Balls after the tournament,” the second Varga said.  
“We sure will,” the Namek said. “And now, my Varga friend, when you first use the microphone here, in the main control room, you can announce the result of the next fight. One of the fighters forfeited by default.”  
Both of the Vargas who had been talking with the announcer and the Namek nodded to each other. They mutually knew whom among the Vargas would be the one they would ask to further announce the events of the Multiverse Tournament, using the main control room’s microphone. One of the Varga had made announcements for the tournament at its beginning, and they were going to ask him to resume announcing.  
It was quite fortunate for him that he was to become the tournament’s only host, as it surely would boost his popularity with the ladies!  
After they asked the announcer Varga to resume his role, he eagerly obliged.  
The two Varga then headed to their positions near the command console, each of which offered an excellent view of the arena.  
After pressing a button on the computer in front of him, and while speaking into the microphone, the Varga announcer revealed the news of what would have been the next fight.  
“We can now announce the next match, and in fact, we already have a result,” the announcer said. “XXI from Universe 5 was to fight against Lumaca from Universe 10, but as all of Universe 10 exited the tournament, Lumaca automatically forfeited.”  
The announcer then deactivated the microphone and observed the list of tournament participants who had not yet fought.  
Indeed, he was looking forward to seeing many of these participants demonstrate their capabilities in the arena.  
While the announcer was in the midst of anticipating the tournament fights ahead, the technician was still in the midst  
of fighting the battle to repair the multiverse transfer device.Reactions among members of the audience were mixed as to the fact that Lumaca’s automatic forfeit had resulted in the next randomly selected fight not occurring.  
Many were quite displeased, as they were eager to see another battle that was as grandiose as the one they had most recently seen.  
Others, however, were welcoming the brief reprieve from the fights, especially since they had considered the fight between Vegetto and Broly to have been too extreme. The thought of anyone possessing the ability to destroy another in an instant with one attack had seemed foreboding enough, and witnessing the capabilities of Vegetto and Broly had increased the sense of apprehension among many.  
In the Sixth Universe Balcony, Bojack looked toward his left, directly at the Fifth Universe Balcony. There appeared to be no one there.  
The tournament participant whom the Varga had announced, XXI, had according to Bojack’s recollections not been present for quite some time.  
“They don’t even know that the guy from ‘The Five’ is gone, too?” Bojack asked his fellow berserkers from Universe 6.  
“These birdies really don’t control anything,” Zangya said, with an inflection of boredom.  
Bojack, Zangya, and Bujin had seen XXI prior to the formal beginning of the tournament, soon after they’d arrived in the stadium’s Sixth Universe Balcony. XXI also had been present when the green giant from Universe 7 arrived in his balcony, but after the Namek’s arrival, Bojack, Zangya, and Bujin had not seen XXI.  
It seemed to Bojack that XXI had almost certainly left the tournament. Bojack surmised that XXI had left after witnessing how powerful his potential competitors appeared, similar to what had happened with regard to the participants from Universe 10, although they had at observed – and in many cases experienced – what their opponents’ capabilities.  
Bojack felt confident in his ability to defeat anyone, and from his perspective, XXI would not have been a challenge.  
“Why are we even bothering with staying here?” Bujin suddenly asked. “In addition to the fact I lost, we’ve seen how powerful the other fighters are here. That monster I fought, Majin Buu, was very dangerous himself, and Bojack, you’ve seen what Vegetto can do. You and Zangya are strong, but neither of you can win this thing.”  
“Your lack of courage is bothering the hell out of me, and no, we’re not leaving,” Bojack said, while keeping his arms crossed and looking straight ahead. “I’m going to crush everyone else I fight, and the wish with the Dragon Balls will be mine.”  
“Yeah, well, I give up,” Zangya said. “If you want to stay and get killed, that’s your call. You’ll follow us in separate boxes!”  
“I will not lose,” Bojack said, sounding quite resolute. “And I forbid your from forfeitting, Zangya. If you do not fight in the arena, I will make you wish you had.”  
Bujin observed his two compatriots with focused attention, and he perceived that the tension between them was more profound than it appeared. He was, in a way, thankful that he had already lost, as Bojack could in no way force him to continue fighting in the tournament. He recognized Zangya’s peril: if she fought, there was a chance she would fight an especially dangerous opponent and be killed, and if she refused to fight, Bojack might kill her himself.  
Zangya decided to cope with the hardship of her situation by concentrating on making a plan to gain some sort of advantage. She was well aware that as long as Bojack’s belligerent intentions regarding the tournament persisted, her life was at risk. She had been tempted by desires to overcome Bojack’s power and replace him as the strongest of their universe, and his most recent words had encouraged Zangya to strongly consider whether the time had at last arrived for implementing her plans. She kept these notions to herself, however, as despite her desire to work with him for this purpose, she did not trust Bujin.  
Zangya then looked toward the group of four girls who also were from Universe 6, among which was Kat, the brave soul who had earlier fought Kakarotto of Universe 13. The four girls were against the wall bordering the audience section, and Kat was sitting in a curled position. They were discussing the fight between Vegetto and Broly, expressing awe at what they had seen.  
“It’s hard to believe that those guys were doing all that,” said one of the girls.  
“Yeah, they’re just all mind-blowingly strong!” said another.  
They were not experienced or skilled enough to distinguish the stark differences in power between Super Saiyan 3 Vegetto, Legendary Super Saiyan Broly, and many of those who had fought before them, including Cell and Bojack. For the four girls, there already was a tremendous gap between their power levels and those of most of the others in the tournament, such that slight or significant differences in power among those who were much stronger than them were not readily perceivable.  
In the 12th Universe Balcony, #16 turned toward Trunks.  
“Do you want to forfeit?” #16 asked.  
“Since the beginning, I didn’t expect to win,” Trunks said. “Nothing has changed. I still want to fight against my father. That’s my most important goal right now. I want to fight him with all my strength.”  
#16 smiled at Trunks’ determination, and recognized that Trunks had a clear goal.  
However, what was his own?  
He had wanted to kill a version of Goku, but it seemed increasingly unlikely that he would get the chance to do so. He knew that even if he somehow eventually did manage to fight Vegetto in the semifinals of the right-hand side of the tournament bracket, Vegetto did not sufficiently look like Goku and was not truly him, and that a miracle victory over him would not truly fulfill his desire. Indeed, Vegetto would likely defeat him easily, hence rendering the thought of even a partial victory over a version of Goku further reduced in potential. But even if his processors were incorrect, and his chance of victory over Vegetto was at least slightly more than an infinitesimal percentage above zero, fighting a full-fledged version of Goku would depend upon either Goku of Universe 18 or Kakarotto of Universe 13 winning the semifinals of the left-hand tournament bracket, which were significantly uncertain outcomes themselves.  
In fact, he had even missed the opportunity to fight Baddack from Universe 10! Baddack had at least looked like Goku, and killing him could have sated #16’s one deathly desire.  
As a result of all these considerations, #16 decided that he would continue to fight out of the goal of simply doing so for fun, as so many others had decided they would do.  
Some, however, were fighting for the simple purpose of winning, regardless of fun.  
Babidi was among them, as his desire for victory in battle was being achieved by proxy, with Majin Buu as the implement of his plans.  
“They are all surprised by the fight they just witnessed, but Buu can do better. Right, Buu?” Babidi asked, with his hands on his hips, while turning toward Majin Buu.  
“Uh …,” Buu said with a linger of the filler word, using it as a substitute for an outright answer.  
Majin Buu often did not provide full answers to Babidi’s questions when he either didn’t fully understand them or felt as though there might be some sort of consequence for doing so. He was by no means the only entity across the many universes who responded as such, and in fact, many of those who would consider themselves to be far less childish than Majin Buu also were culpable of not directly answering such questions.  
Majin Buu considered himself to be in the tournament simply because Babidi had told him to participate, and for all his life since he had reemerged on Earth in Universe 11, he had understood his role to be such that he would fulfill Babidi’s desires when asked, even if his orders were sometimes very unpleasant.  
Because of all his experiences with Babidi, Majin Buu knew that with regard to honestly answering Babidi’s question and expressing his own opinion as to whether he was more powerful than Broly or Vegetto, refraining from answering was the most desirable option, especially since he would avoid Babidi’s yelling.  
In the Eighth Universe Balcony, the Frost Demons were in the midst of assessing their power levels in comparison to those of their competitors, and for some time had acknowledged the evident truth.  
“Father, I think … that we’re outclassed!” Freeza said.  
“It seems impossible, but yet …,” Coola began to say, while standing relatively still and appearing almost frightened.  
“This all does seem rather challenging,” Cold said, while uncrossing his arms.  
Freeza then decided to whisper an important strategic consideration to his father, and he moved closer to King Cold so the message could be received.  
“However, let’s not forget that our goal isn’t necessarily to win this tournament, but to acquire the Dragon Balls regardless of who wins,” Freeza said, through whispering.  
Cold nodded in acknowledgement.  
If they had the Dragon Balls, they could fulfill any of their desires!  
Nearby, in the Seventh Universe Balcony, the Super Namek was in the midst of quite different considerations.  
“Compared to the other fighters, Vegetto and Broly have an infinite strength,” he said, while looking up at the starry sky. “But strength is nothing. I need my wish. My determination shall not waver.”  
The Super Namek had only one wish to make – just one. Unlike the Frost Demons, he was not the type to deceive others for the purpose of stealing valued privileges and prizes, or for achieving other objectives. He was not insidious, and rather, he was smart and strong, … and lonely.  
In the First Universe Balcony, the kaio shins were reconsidering whether they had been severely mistaken in not only enabling the Multiverse Tournament to occur without protest, but deciding to participate as well. They had recognized the potential dangers of the tournament even before it had begun, as after all, some of the strongest fighters from across 20 universes had been gathered in one place.  
They had considered before the start of the tournament whether they should attempt to “close” the universes so that travel could no longer continue among them, but they ultimately had decided to not restrict the travel.  
What had been done could not be undone, and the Multiverse Tournament had proceeded. However, the tournament had highlighted for the kaio shins the true dangers posed to all universes as a result of mortals being able to freely transport entities from one universe to another.  
“This is why we’ll close the universes after the tournament!” said North Kaio Shin.  
“Yes, the sooner, the better!” said South Kaio Shin, while Grand Kaio Shin nodded in agreement.  
They each dearly hoped that none of the fighters who had yet to fight would prove to be as crazy as Broly, or beyond even that level …  
In the 18th Universe Balcony, Trunks and Goten were showing that they were no longer truly eager to continue participating in the tournament.  
Witnessing the bout between Vegetto and Broly had been breathtaking, indeed.  
After all, they mutually thought, why should they continue to fight if they were almost certainly going to lose?  
“Well, I’ve got some contracts to sign!” Trunks said, while he began to head toward the exit.  
“I have a date with my girlfriend!” Goten said, while also attempting to leave.  
Vegeta and Son Goku caught up quickly to their sons, and before Trunks and Goten could blink, Vegeta was grabbing the top of the back of Trunks’ shirt, and Goten had been likewise restrained.  
Vegeta and Goku knew that despite the apparent challenges to even their own powers, they would stay and fight. The opportunity to overcome challenges, after all, was the foundational essence of what made combat thrilling!  
After extensive contemplation of all he had seen so far in the tournament, Uub approached Goku.  
“Sensei, we’re really outclassed, aren’t we?” Uub asked. “Why continue?”

“We should continue precisely because of how challenging it will be to fight many of our upcoming competitors!” Goku said. “The greater the challenge, the greater the victory. We’ll meet Vegetto in the final round. I’m sure we’ll be much stronger by then!”  
Goku exuded calmness and confidence, and he truly was certain that after several battles, he and his fellow warriors of Universe 18 would be stronger.  
However, he acknowledged that it would be very difficult, with just four more full rounds before the final round, to become able to successfully compete with Vegetto.  
Pan considered her grandfather’s words, although she knew that the magnitudes of power that Vegetto and Broly had exhibited were well beyond any she had witnessed before the start of the tournament.  
“Grandpa … we can’t improve much in such a short time …,” Pan began to say, with concern more than evident in her voice.  
Goku finally released his grip on Goten’s shirt, then attempted to comfort Pan by reiterating the principle that fighting can improve one’s strength considerably depending on how one approaches fighting.  
While Goku was talking with Pan, Vegeta considered what he had seen of his fused counterpart in action.  
‘I shouldn’t be surprised that Vegetto is stronger than us … but by so much!’ Vegeta thought to himself. ‘Fortunately, I’ll face Goku before the finals!’  
In the 17th Universe Balcony, another fighter reflected aloud upon what he had heard of the conversations among those in the 18th Universe Balcony.  
“In the finale … yes, so many things can happen until then!” Cell said. “As per my Saiyan cells, I can rely on the strength of my upcoming opponents to become stronger! I hope these two fools here will give me a true challenge, because I’ve been looking forward to one! First I’ll defeat Vegeta, and then I’ll defeat Son Goku! After I vanquish them, I’ll then defeat Vegetto! It’s a perfect chain of battles, and I shall be victorious!”

The technician had finished reconnecting all the hardware that had needed to be adjusted, and after reconfiguring the software codes, the multiverse transfer device would be restored to functional use.  
After the repair’s completion, all that would need to be done to send Broly back to Universe 20 would be to push a button!  
“It seems the gravity is operating normally, at least,” one of the Vargas said from his seat by the command console.  
“The multiverse transfer device is almost operational again,” another Varga said. “All seems to be going rather well!”  
The Varga supervisor then considered how best to proceed with the further matches.  
The preparations for the next battle were almost complete, and he acknowledged that more time without fighting had passed since the end of the most recently finished match than was desirable.  
He seriously wondered if he should start the next fight, especially since he knew the multiverse transfer device was projected to be soon complete. He also considered that neither of the fighters who had been randomly selected for the next match was likely to cause a debacle the way that Broly had.  
While acknowledging to himself that a slight risk remained, he told the announcer Varga that he could soon initiate the next match.  
“There should no longer be any risk …,” the supervisor said.  
At the Varga Command Center, a large Namek entered. He informed the chief who came to meet him, "We've healed everyone."  
"That's excellent news. At least, it was done."  
"The public also asked for something," continued the Namek. "Many have suffered because of the light Vegetto's attack produced... The contrast is too big. They would like a 'daylight' luminosity."  
"We'll see what we can do," said the Varga before heading over to one of his controller technicians.  
"Hey, can you increase the artificial light?" he asked calmly. "Kind of like it is at broad daylight, then... you know what? I think it's quite possible. I saw it in..."  
But the technician looked at him with a face of despair.   
"Increase the brightness? So that we spend a few more hours configuring it? You think it's as simple as that? Sorry, but you can't ask me something like that. That's the work of the insane... You're asking for way too much!"  
"Uh... Hey, listen... We're not in any rush... Can you see if it's possible?"  
"Well, of course I can!" he said, puffing his chest. "Because after all, I have nothing else to do, right? ... This kind of shield couldn't be merely recalibrated and restarted -- no, I have to reset all the individual processes one by one. The blast had scrambled them all. And then the light -- after all, it's "just" a program for producing every possible type of lighting, and a script that edits it in real-time so that there 's no intereference, and a modulator to make it work for every type of eye in the stadium. But that's nothing, of course. Sure, I understand, I'm on it. Pfft. As usual, you guys are of no use... motherfuckers...  
"Okay... So... uh... I'll let you get on that, okay?"  
And so, the Varga strode off, leaving the grouchy one behind. He really detested these technicians. He hoped that the guy could be replaced without too much difficulty within the next one or two fights.  
When the technician Varga found himself alone, he muttered under his breath and feathers for a few minutes, looking left and right... He opened a small window on the screen and opened the brightness screen. He selected 'daylight' instead of 'night luminescence' and validated his choice. Then, he stretched his arms and legs... and took his break.  
As the whole procedure ensued above, Universe 16's Bra finally located her father's coordinates. She had been struggling to find it, as Vegetto had been constantly moving and was now very far off.  
For her, there was no more time to lose. Without saying a word, with a look that spoke volumes and clenched teeth, she teleported. Gohan had just enough time to put a hand on her shoulder. Piccolo, however, did not have time to do so. Worse still, he still had the senzu beans for Vegetto!  
He must be exhausted... And he was already in space for a few minutes without breathing... He was definitely tired and wouldn't last long... Piccolo missed the time period when he was the strongest, or at least almost. In any case, the time when he was still useful, and it hadn't been so for many years. ... Ever since Cell, actually... After Piccolo's fight against #17, where they were equal to one another, and his defeat against Cell, he had trained (like the Saiyans) in the Room of Spirit and Time. He had become much stronger that time... perhaps even approaching Cell's power when he absorbed the first of the androids. He was still nothing compared to Perfect Cell and even worse compared to Super Saiyan 2 Gohan or Cell after his failed suicide attempt. And even against the Cell Juniors... he wasn't strong enough. Years later, he had continued to improve. But against Buu, he was just as useless, and even if he had to fight Dabra, he didn't know who was stronger. Even if they fought right now, he was still uncertain...  
Moments after Son Gohan and Son Bra's disapparition, a complex sequence initiated and created a slight brightness that covered the starry sky in space. It was as if the sun was rising on the stage in a few minutes.  
No announcement was made to warn the spectators, who, for the most part, were glad to see their request granted. Others were astonished:  
"Hey... the artificial light has increased!" said Raditz, watching the dazzling sky before him as his eyes adapted quickly.  
"Super... Let's leave," said Nappa, already turning his back to the group.  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Vegeta said, uncrossing his arms, as if Nappa's comment had completely displaced them and had insulted him.  
"We're nothing here. Even you would be crushed by that monster, Vegeta! So can you imagine us?!?" Nappa finished, referring to Raditz and himself.  
"We will continue. We will fight. If you have a problem with that, get lost. We don't need a weakling and a coward in our group.  
Nappa stood motionless, without being able to fix his eyes on Vegeta... He thought for a moment that he would have to leave the group, and be alone in a Universe that they had dominated all thanks to Vegeta. He alone would never be able to survive... so he did not move... and he stood there next to Raditz.  
Best-case scenario: Vegetto would be eliminated and they wouldn't have to face him.  
"If only someone could attack him outside the ring to get him disqualified! That would be the best!" Nappa thought. He had no idea that (part of) his prophecy had come true that moment, millions of miles away...

 

Vegetto resisted... For as long as there was resistance, Buu could not gain more ground. Instead, however, Buu seemed to be able to multiply himself to infinity, again and again. Despite Vegetto's speed as he tried to destroy each of the little heads of his opponents, he kept finding more around him. Soon, he was surrounded.  
As a Super Saiyan 2, surely he would succeed better, but he lacked energy... And throwing so many ki blasts away just drained more energy. Sometimes he had to get rid of a head that was too close to him and had to power up his fist or foot. But that made him lose even more time... Soon, he would have to...  
Of course, Buu could not help but revel in Vegetto's struggle to prevent him from absorbing Broly. Dozens of his head were not directed towards him, but rather to the Saiyan Broly, grinning in victory.  
Vegetto had identified them, but couldn't reach them now. They were too far away, and there were too many Buu heads around him. And among them, was the 'real' Buu. But fortunately, Vegetto could sense the arrival of help.  
The Buu heads that intended to absorb Broly had been stopped, as if they had been pushed against an invisible wall, by a force that had appeared between Broly and themselves... Gohan and Bra quickly analyzed the situation... it seemed critical!  
Still with fingers on her forehead, Bra turned into a Super Saiyan. She let out a smile when she saw her father in the distance.  
Our father is asking for help... It's not like him...  
Gohan kept a grim look on his face as he remained concentrated. It had been a little while since he had last fought seriously... A few years ago, against Bra... But since that time, if someone or something he loved was in danger, he had quickly went off to save it. And his strength had not diminished one iota since he faced Majin Buu decades ago. Could he take on this Buu? He had fought Buu when he absorbed Gotenks and Piccolo and he had brutally lost while fighting at his best. Since then, he had not improved and Buu had become extremely powerful!  
Well, well... So the cavalry arrives!  
Buu smiled. The addition of two more fighters was nothing against his might. He remained the strongest, and he knew that for a fact. He even wanted to have a little fun. Certainly he wouldn't kill them, as that wouldn't be funny. But he would at least hurt them. At least show them the difference in their power levels and make them understand the futility of trying to resist.  
Son Gohan and Son Bra kicked into gear to quickly and efficiently destroy dozens of the ugly heads around them. They were fairly well-synchronized, but Buu would not let them continue. From his position, he stretched out his arms at breakneck speed towards Vegetto's two reinforcement troops, once they had time to see it coming. Both of the fighters activated their auras, a golden one for Bra and a white one for Gohan, and avoided the strike, flying quickly towards Buu. By the time his arm reduced to normal size to parry the blows, it was too late.  
Bra violently struck her left fist against Buu's right cheek. The blow tore Buu's head off his body. Gohan arrived half a second later, kicking Buu in the stomach with his feet. Once again, Buu was cut in two. The whole body of Buu seemed to tremble like the multitude of heads around him. Did he do this on purpose? To make them believe they had a chance? Or was he weakened, one way or another?  
Bra and Gohan knew that Buu was dangerous for them anyway. After their first shots, they flew off to the side symmetrically to the attack point and at they used their ki to do what Vegetto had been trying for a long time already: to destroy all these evil heads that were fluttering around and trying to absorb Broly...  
Good job, kids. We should be able to hold out long enough for Broly to be sent back to his universe...  
These reinforcements were invaluable to Vegetto. He would not have succeeded otherwise without losing too much energy, which was critical for him at this stage to restrain Buu for enough time. This was much better. But Buu didn't seem to have run out of energy at all... He created more heads again and again. And the 'real' Buu, who had reglued his head and legs, approached to partake in battle as well, as Gohan and Bra flew close to their father. But for Bra, now was a golden opportunity!  
"I don't care about Broly, but Buu is mine!" she thought, barreling over her opponent, wishing she could pop out claws...  
She wanted to take care of him alone. Vegetto and Gohan knew that. Her brother was reluctant to help. He was stronger than her if she started as a Super Saiyan... but they were still largely weaker than Buu. Vegetto could not care less: If she could restrain Buu, all the better. He and Gohan could vaporize the rest.  
Still hoping that the ordeal would not last long, Vegetto began to run out of oxygen...

In the arena, some people started becoming anxious... specifically those in Universe 16's wing.  
"I'm worried that Vegetto, Gohan and Bra haven't returned yet," said Goten to Piccolo.  
"And what's worse is that you can't feel their energy with so many warriors here," added the Namek.  
"We really are powerless..." Trunks added in turn, crossing his arms and looking down, searching his mind for a solution.  
"If we had learned to teleport ourselves, this wouldn't have happened!" Goten exclaimed, becoming very angry.  
"If we had fused and went to Super Saiyan level three, we could be more useful... Why did my sister leave so quickly... She just does whatever she wants..."  
"In any case, even as Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks and even if you knew Vegetto's position, you still wouldn't be able to catch them without teleportation..." Piccolo finally added, completely demoralizing the two Semi-Saiyans.  
As they grumbled in their spots, eagerly awaiting the return of their family members, the Vargas made a new announcement:  
"Next fight! #18 from Universe 14 against Yamcha from Universe 9!"  
In light of this announcement, made with just one voice, all the spectators in the arena showed that they were incredibly pleased that the tournament had finally resumed. They were all especially excited for Universe 14, which had only two warriors, the first of which had not fought against I'K'L (who was still not born yet). They were finally ready to see what they had to offer. In Universe 9, the old Kulilin had impressed them in his fight against a much younger opponent. In this tournament, whether one was old or young... there was no telling what could happen... Moreover, the range of ages in the tournament was impressive. The youngest participant was not even born yet! The oldest was about several thousand years old (maybe even more)!  
"Yamcha, huh?" said #17 next to his sister. "This will be quick."  
"Yeah. I'll be right back," added the other cyborg, flying into the ring.  
Cell watched him fly. He quickly remembered the day he had absorbed her... all thanks to Vegeta's arrogance... and also that human Kulilin, who had the opportunity to disable her via a remote but had rather destroyed. That day, the fate of the Earth had been sealed. He had been damaged to the point at which he had been unable to absorb the two cyborgs again. He needed more power here... Dr. Gero could have predicted this all the same...  
In Universe 9's space, Yamcha walked toward the small boundary wall.  
"Oh, so you didn't forfeit, then?"  
Yamcha turned smiling. His opponent was #18, a woman. A friendly opponent for him. Why would he forfeit?  
"Speak for yourself, old man," he shouted to his midget friend. "But I'm playing until the end!"  
With that, he flew quitely to the ring for his fight. He turned one last time, while continuing his ascension:  
"And you?"  
Kulilin pondered the question. But it was still pertinent in his mind. After the last fight they had all seen, they all had doubts. Kulilin was unsure if they should continue... if ,he should continue... It would all depend on the result of this fight.  
It was a dangerous race across a huge battlefield. Numerous explosions sounded around them, knocking them off course. The four white dots moved stealthily, in a tight undetected formation. They were about to carry out a crucial mission.  
After many obstacles, they finally arrived. They passed through the energy shield that Vegetto created around Broly's unconscious body, arriving on the left side of his chest. With a swift stroke and a small popping noise, as if a cork was being removed from a bottle of wine, the tiny dots became small figures the size of a thumb. The mini-Buus looked proud and happy.  
Congratulations, my friends! We've finally made it! one of them exclaimed.  
We've finally entered enemy territory... said another.  
...at the risk of our own lives! ended a third Buu by saluting his hand like a soldier.  
Yeah, wept a fourth one, followed by his comrades.  
It was indeed a great success. While the other parts of Buu's body were fighting Vegetto, Gohan, and Bra, the others that were sprayed were able to achieve their primary objective. Only one thing to do, and they finally would win!  
Let's go! Surround this guy!  
Yeah! Yaaaaaay! answered the three others, beginning to morph into a sort of chewing gum that could stretch almost endlessly.  
Just as they began to expand around Broly, they all exploded. They were not disintegrated, like Vegetto's technique would have done, but rather they found themselves in a pinkish vapor state. And, as they were all in motion, their vaporization had enabled Gohan to launch them further away. It was impossible for that body part of Buu to reform in the same place to try and absorb Broly again.  
For Universe 16, that was one less enemy. For Buu, it was disgusting that he was stopped right when he reached ninety-nine percent of his goal!  
Insolent little--! Not nice! I was almost there! cried one of the Buu heads next to Gohan, who was sweating profusely... As a result of the zero gravity, the sweat seemed to rise instead of fall...  
"We have to hold on until Broly is sent back!" said the son of Vegetto, to reinforce the fact that they had to stay more vigilant.  
He didn't want to risk such a close call again. It would be much too dangerous for Buu to absorb Broly. If he could have unlimited power, and continually increasing power... Gohan didn't dare imagine the result...

At the Varga Command Center, the technician repaired the return system with the newly-recorded program finally rectified. Normally, it should work. Turning to the Varga who was 'observing' him, he gave him the remote. The latter, rather stupidly, returned the remote to the head chief Varga and Namek both present.  
"Here! It's fixed!"  
"Well, send this Broly back, then," the other Varga said simply.  
What kind of idea was it that the most important thing was to test that the button was working?  
“What’s the point? He is far now," the Varga simply and close-mindedly replied, laying the remote on the side consoles. "It's true..." he continued, "it's not like we and the other participants are directly threatened by him anymore..."

It had been several long minutes since Bra had been fighting Buu alone. And it was quite obvious that he was much stronger than she was! Much stronger than Gohan too! And superior to Vegetto's Super Saiyan form.  
But she did not despair. In the beginning, it pleased her that she was getting beat up by the legend that her father and brother had told her about in their stories. The most powerful of opponents. But gradually, she faltered. It was all the more serious because she couldn't catch her breath. She was limited in time and strength in efficiency. And after all, Super Saiyan was not her only level...  
After taking several punches to the face, without being able to counter-attack for once, Bra thought and was heard by her family:  
Dad! He is stronger! I need to breathe, I... I can't stand it here anymore!  
Suddenly Bra realized that she could potentially die here, if it continued like this. With that, her eyes lit up and widened. She could not let that happen!  
I won’t die here, I’m going to the next level!  
She wasn't allowed to do so, as she very well knew...  
"The nex... NO! I forbade you to! shouted Vegetto telepathically. Don't do that, Bra!  
It’s really not the time for...  
Gohan stopped... Bra was already out of strength and anger... The two members of his family only knew too well that this kind of power just made things messier... and it could become dangerous for herself and her family!  
On the other hand, she won’t break much around here! Gohan ended up thinking, remembering quickly the first time his sister had become a Super Saiyan 2...  
Suddenly, a blinding light was produced from Bra's body, stopping everyone in their tracks. The Buu heads froze, and faced this new power. Vegetto and Gohan prepared for the worst, remaining on their guard, but kept attacking Buu for a few seconds.  
Aaah... said the latter, fixed on this transformation. Bra was more powerful than Gohan now. But she didn't scare him at all. She was well below Vegetto's potential. Her father was tired, so she was the strongest for the moment.  
The cords that bound her hair at the back and front broke off, allowing her hair to rise up in peaks, as is always the case with the second level of Super Saiyan. Her muscles thickened and her eyes became terrible. Her gaze seemed crazy, devoid of any rational thought. Or was she rather completely focused on her opponent?  
When she was ready, she stretched out her arm at Buu and launched her first attack. The entire lower half of his body vanished instantly, to his great surprise and dismay.  
Vegetto's technique! cried one of the heads at Bra.  
She, too, can kill me! cried another not too far away.  
As if she had heard, Bra turned and with a large swing to the right she sprayed a wave of energy of the same sort that had wiped out Buu's lower half. In under two microseconds, all 15 heads exploded, leaving no trace. She was efficient, focused...  
…focused on only one thing: to destroy everything around her before she ran out of energy and oxygen. With nothing but this goal in mind, she turned to see another group of Buu’s heads, placed around Gohan and Vegetto. But she did not see them – her vision was obscured. All she saw was a threat – a threat that she attacked violently.  
— No! Bra! called Gohan, a moment too late. Besides, would she have even heard?  
The attack was swift. They had no time to avoid it. As a score of heads around them disappeared, Vegetto and Gohan were hit heard. Their clothes were in tatters; they were covered with wounds, burns, and cuts. Vegetto, already exhausted, was hit harder than Gohan. He coughed up blood, losing his Super Saiyan transformation…  
“Ha ha! This girl is great!” exclaimed one of the heads as it began dividing into two again.  
“But you’ll never get all of us!” cried another as it, too, multiplied.  
“Gohan! Dad!”  
Bra realized what she had done. Her pupils returned to normal. Suddenly losing its Super Saiyan shape, her hair began to float loosely, tears filling her eyes. “I, again…!”  
Buu looked at his three opponents. Vegetto was unconscious, and Gohan was badly injured. He could still fight, perhaps, but what could he do against him? As for Bra, she let herself go, no longer looking at him but simply staring into the void of space. For Buu, the fight was now over; he was victorious. He recalled all parts of him back to his head, which slowly began reconstructing his lost half.

“So? No one left to stop me?” he said with a smile.  
Gohan flew toward Vegetto, trying to catch him. There were no more threats to Buu. He turned toward Broly, finally about to achieve his goal.  
— So, Broly is mi—?!  
The smile disappeared immediately as Buu realized that the object of his desire was gone.  
“He’s not there!” he cried as he saw the glowing orb of energy, the last remnant of Vegetto’s attack that had surrounded Broly.  
He was too slow…universe 16 had distracted him for too long…the stupid ducks had been given ample time to repair the mechanism he had destroyed.

“It’s important,” the leader of the Nameks said as he pressed the single button on the remote. In front of him, the idiot Varga was still protesting:  
“Who will care that he isn’t in this universe any more, frankly…” he said, shrugging his thin shoulders.  
“It is the right thing to do,” another Varga beside him said. “We are not here to disrupt the universes. We send them all back home, no matter what.”  
The little idiot shrugged again. For him, it didn’t matter whether Broly was in universe “20” or universe “0” or universe “3.14159”….  
For someone else, it mattered a lot.

Buu was enraged. He seethed inside, smoke beginning to pour out of the holes on his body.  
Gohan grabbed Vegetto and raced toward Bra. With their father unconscious, she was the only one able to bring them back to the arena. They were desperately short of air, Gohan almost sinking into unconsciousness as well from his lack of oxygen. Just a little farther and he could reach his sister….  
“Bra! Snap out of it! We’re heading back!” he said to his sister, shaking her.  
She started to come out of shock. She looked at Gohan, tears in her eyes, still trembling. Then, slowly, she raised two fingers to her forehead and searched for the energy that emanated from the arena several million miles away.  
Buu, having fully recovered, was furious. Gritting his teeth with rage, he lunged at the group, fist raised to strike. But he swung through empty space; they had teleported…  
A few hundred meters from the arena in a passage between rocky cliffs, three people appeared, exhausted. Bra had the presence of mind to use Kibito’s teleportation to go to a deserted place, so as not to attract the attention of other participants.  
Bra doubled over, bracing her arms against her knees to keep from collapsing in exhaustion. Her hair fell lose over her neck and forehead. She was prettier this way, less menacing – the look suited her, no matter what she herself would have thought. Gohan gently lowered his father to the ground, and the fused Saiyan began instinctively breathing the fresh oxygen. In a few moments, he regained consciousness, but he was still unable to stand.  
After taking several breaths, trying to ignore the injuries all over his body from Bra’s attack, Gohan spoke to Vegetto. “Dad! Are you okay?”  
“I’ll survive,” he replied weakly, almost whispering. “Piccolo…got the senzus, he’ll find us soon…”  
A light wind seemed to caress them. They were wounded and broken, but their mission had been a success. Buu had not absorbed the infinite power of Broly. Their little adventure, so dangerous, was over…  
Suddenly, a new noise was heard. Turning toward the sound, the three warriors from universe 16 saw Buu standing uninjured, as if he had never fought in space. He was clearly furious. Teeth clenched, eyes burning with hatred and a desire for revenge – his glare was murderous and he seemed ready to attack them, despite being so close to the arena.  
Bra transformed into her Super Saiyan state immediately: there was no question now, they had to defend themselves. She now looked completely disheveled, her golden hair raising in a messy tangle around her head. Gohan also stood, forcing his swollen right eye open. Vegetto, even, managed to get up with a burst of courage. But he had no strength; he could not even transform to the first level of Super Saiyan. In fact, he could barely stand: his legs trembled and he seemed ready to collapse at any moment.  
“I can breathe, but I’m even more harmed, and still out of energy! Bra and Gohan should be able to…”  
Vegetto stopped. His concern froze as well. Buu was smiling. Was it a sadistic smile, the brutal laugh of a victorious villain, ready to crush the insects that had thwarted him without mercy or remorse? No, not this time. Buu smiled because…he was simply happy!  
“Congrats for these fights, I had a wonderful time! Thank you all,” he said, turning toward the arena and starting to walk away. “I’m really looking forward to my matches against you, at your best!” he finally said, waving.  
Like a child who was upset because he was denied a toy, the pink demon had finally calmed down and decided to dwell on the fun he’d had. The Buu that Vegetto and Gohan knew from Universe 16 would have never have behaved like that…  
Bra, still a Super Saiyan, didn’t believe it and remained ready for anything. Was this some strange ruse? Vegetto, still panting, thought to himself. “Was he really trying…to absorb Broly?”  
The trio remained silent for a few minutes, wanting to be sure that Buu really would not attack them. Once he disappeared into the arena, Gohan turned to his father and helped him fly quietly in the same direction. Without attracting attention, they found the outside entrance to their universe’s room and entered it, walking. Piccolo, who had finally detected their energies, joined them at the entrance to their space. He had seen Buu from universe 4 enter just seconds before, arms crossed, in the center of his space. The pink demon smiled as he watched the fight taking place on the ring above his head.  
The Namek asked no questions, but quickly gave senzus to his friends. They would explain soon enough. Gohan took one senzu, Bra took two, and Vegetto swallowed two handfuls.  
“Thanks, Piccolo,” said Vegetto as he watched his injuries melt away.  
“”I’ll redo your clothes as well,” replied the Namek quietly, still eager to hear about what had happened between Vegetto, Buu, and Broly.  
Indeed, Vegetto asked him to come inside their space quietly. They walked past Trunks and Goten, who were still staring at the fight between Yamcha and #18.  
In the space of Universe 18, they also asked questions and wanted immediate answers.  
"Universe 16 went for quite a jaunt, it seems..." said Vegeta, his arms eternally crossed.  
"It's related to Buu," confirmed Goku, looking at Universe 4 with Piccolo.  
With Gohan back, they hoped they would have time to ask what happened, even though they had a good idea... In Universe 17's space, Cell realized something.  
"If we fight far away from the arena, no one sees a thing... I take note. But who's that guy from Universe 4? And why were they fighting for Broly?" he wondered.  
A few minutes later, Vegetto returned from inside his quarters with new clothes, followed by Piccolo, Gohan, and Bra.  
"What did I miss?" he asked Son Goten and Trunks innocently, as if he had just come back from a potty break.  
"Yamcha's a cyborg!" Trunks almost shouted, quite excited by the fight that was unfolding.  
"That's rad!" Goten added equally happily.  
"Really?" Vegetto was astonished.  
For him, like for many others as well, the story of Universe 9's warriors was intriguing. And he already knew Kulilin, Yamcha, and Tenshinhan, which made him even more eager to talk to them.  
Looking up at the ring, he contended himself to observe the end of the fight...  
Android 18 and Yamcha stood face to face a few meters away from each other. The former stood upright, arms crossed, with a weary expression on her face. The latter’s fists were clenched, but he was quiet. The two adversaries took a few seconds to observe each other closely.  
For the cyborg, this match was a waste of time. Her brother has already killed Yamcha in their universe by deflecting a kienzan from Krillin – the bandit’s own friend – into him. This fighter was weak; he couldn’t dodge. This was no challenge. Yamcha, on the other hand, had never met her. Though he had never seen her, he knew roughly what to expect. He wasn’t afraid. Instead, he was pleased to face her.  
“I don’t really want to hit a girl,” he said with affected seriousness. “Can’t you forfeit?” Number 18 shook her head. Yamcha continued flirting awkwardly.  
“We’ll go for a drink together,” he said, a mischievous, glib look in his eyes.   
The cyborg sighed, uncrossing her arms and stretching her right hand toward Yamcha, opening it wide. An energy beam sped out of her palm toward Yamcha, who jumped up, dodging easily. Darting forward quickly, he dropped down within a few inches of the woman. He leaned forward.  
“Now I’m sure of it!”  
Surprised to see her opponent only an inch away, she leaned back reflexively. 18 wasted no time. At this distance, she could hit him with all her strength. But her right hook merely brushed the air. Yamcha leaned back nimbly, avoiding the blow without any problem. As he dodged, he continued to speak.  
“You didn’t release any energy when you attacked. Your name is a number…”  
He dodged a kick from the cyborg aimed at his gut. Flipping around her, he stopped at her back. “This badge on your jacket…”  
Yamcha leapt back several meters and stood upright. “You’re an artificial human.” (Note: this was the way that Toriyama referred to the cyborgs/androids in the original Japanese: “Jinzo Ningen”.)  
Number 18 seemed shocked. But it wasn’t the revelation that surprised. In her world, Yamcha knew exactly who she was…at least, until her brother killed him. Why, in this universe 9, had he sought evidence for what he should have already known? She quickly regained her wits and smiled at him. “Yeah. So what?”  
Yamcha paused for a second before answering, choosing his words carefully. “You must have suffered the worst. You even forgot your real name! Let me help you.”  
18’s smile disappeared. Who did this man think he was? She was more powerful than any human being; she didn’t need his help.   
“Help me? Fuck off!” she shouted, swinging her hands together and stretching them forward. Fifty energy beams exploded out of her palms, colliding violently with the energy shield that the Vargas had in place to protect the spectators. The people immediately behind it covered their eyes, fearing that the shield would give the same way it had when Vegetto fought Broly. But it stood firm; #18 was on a different level. Continuing to attack, she cried out:  
“I’ve killed more people than you can imagine! I don’t need anybody!”  
“I can read the pain on your face.” Yamcha had appeared suddenly behind her. He was calm and completely uninjured; he had managed to dodge the cyborg’s attack effortlessly. Number 18 jumped back, while Yamcha continued to reason with her.  
“You regret the massacres you did, but you’re afraid of saying it. You suffer because you don’t know your past. All these pains, I know them well.”  
He had a beaming face, a sincere smile…he seemed completely friendly, with no animosity. But 18 wasn’t about to fall into his trap. “Oh yeah? What do you know about them?” she shouted, shaking her fist angrily.  
Without hesitating, Yamcha revealed his true identity…something that no one in the other eighteen universes could have guessed:  
“I am also a cyborg! I used to be called number 17!” he confessed with a smile, gesturing toward himself with his thumb.   
With scars on his face, long hair, confident stance…he really was a handsome charmer. It was even more alarming that he was a cyborg – now he was a really interesting opponent to 18. She didn’t move, wondering if it was really the truth. It could explain how he managed to dodge her attacks, but…how could it be possible?  
In the space for Universe 14, her brother, number 17, was equally stunned. At home, and in so many other universes…11, 12, 16, 17, 18…the twins had been captured simultaneously by Gero to be guinea pigs for his experiments. In universe 9, how could he have ended up in their place? If he was number 17, then where was number 18? It made no sense.  
Cell found the entire sequence of events interesting and returned once again to an idea that he had earlier: if only Dr. Gero had planned on the existence of other cyborgs which could, one way or another, be absorbed and integrated into his system... If only he could have double the number of Androids, like the more powerful Yamcha... What kind of power could he have attained in his time? Once again, Cell internally criticized Gero for not thinking of outlandish scenarios such as this in his hypotheses...  
In Universe 18's space, the surprising revelation gave way to satisfaction amongst the majority of the group. Vegeta was laughing royally; Trunks and Goten loved it as much as Goku. He was happy that his old friend was strong, just as he was pleased to see a version of Kulilin become the worthy successor of Muten Roshi. Gohan and Piccolo were slightly more reserved. If Yamcha was a cyborg, it could have been that he had killed a lot of people in his universe before, obviously, returning to the good side. It was perhaps his past, but it was still concerning.  
"You? A cyborg? So what?" cried #18, taking the bull by the horns and quickly springing forward into melee combat. Yamcha avoided nearly every one of her attacks.  
"You won't touch me. Our bodies are the same, but our strengths are miles apart."  
#18, raging internally and continuing her attack, did not want to hear more. This guy was stronger than her? It was just impossible! It was too humiliating to be true!  
Yamcha continued talking while repeatedly dodging the cyborg's assault. "First, I'm a real fighter. My technique is way superior to yours."  
He parried an attack from #18 and placed himself behind her, knocking her to the ground on her knee. "And I have learned to overcome the limits of my body. But even without that..."  
Yamcha, stopped, waiting for a new shot from #18, who rose, upset.  
In Universe 12's Space, Trunks turned to #16:  
"He's telling the truth. He's at a much higher level than anything a human could have, and he's much stronger than #18," he said without turning his eyes away from the ring.  
Trunks thought for a moment. From what he knew, Gero had captured the twins to avenge Son Goku who had destroyed the Red Ribbon Army. If he had captured Yamcha, what did that mean? Who was the other cyborg? Kulilin had aged, Tenshinhan too, although it didn't show as much. Then who?  
#18 attacked first, but her fist was parried easily with one hand by Yamcha, who continued to speak, but now with a more serious air.  
"You become less powerful over time. Infinite energy... it doesn't exist."  
He tightly clenched his hand on #18's fist, which he clasped in his hand, and in a single movement of his arm, he made the cyborg get down on one knee in front of him. "Our energy decreases with time, making us increasingly weaker. But you don't realize it because the process is incredibly slow."  
#18 tried to resist, but even with the strength from her other free hand, she did not have enough strength to break free from Yamcha's grip. He was ridiculing her! She tried to ignore what he said...yet it was the only explanation for the difference in their power!  
"If you don't do a maintenance check-up on your body, in ten years max, you won't even be able to walk!" #18 didn't need help! Not from him, anyway! She had never needed help from anyone, except perhaps her brother, but this was something entirely different. #17 stood motionless in his spot, watching the fight that had advanced further. The eyes of the two cyborgs in the ring met once again.  
"So? Do you still not want my help?"  
#18, with her free hand, tried an energy attack directed at her opponent's head, but Yamcha flicked it aside. As punishment, he twisted his arms, placing his knee on her spine, and violently slammed her to the ground. The impact left a slight ring in a crater. He pulled on the same arm with his right hand and slammed against her left elbow. With this position, he completely dominated her. She couldn't move now. If she tried to force herself out, she would break her arm.  
In the Vargas control center, the timer was set to go off immediately. One of the Vargas sat there, staring at his lap and informed his feathered friends that there was still some time before they could declare Yamcha the winner. "If he keeps her on the ground that way for 13 seconds, Yamcha will win."  
#17 of Universe 9 counted down the seconds. He had expected that he would have more time. He urged on #18, "Trust me. I'm on your side."  
"You won't win this match!" she cried simply in response.  
"I don't care about winning. I want to help you," Yamcha repeated calmly.  
"Five... four... three..." counted the little Varga, ready to press the intercom button to announce Universe 9's victory.  
Yamcha's victory was quickly approaching! At the last second, he smiled. "I give up," said Yamcha just in time, to the surprise of all the spectators, fighters, friends, and especially the two cyborgs from Universe 14.  
Yamcha released his grip and stood up. He flew off slightly, then paused. #18 remained on the ground (but facing him), and was still amazed by what had happened. "Have fun in the tournament. And whenever you want, meet me in Universe 9's balcony.  
He flew to his wing where Kulilin, Tien, Videl, and his son Trunks were waiting.  
"Pff, that idiot fell for her beautiful eyes, yes! How naive..." said the old Kulilin. "Look at me! I wasn't swooning like that simpleton at the first sight of that blonde! Erf, it's a shame..."  
He was disappointed that he didn't pass on to the second round, something Tenshinhan didn't fail to note. "Really, Yamcha is incapable of passing the first few rounds..." Was there a curse on this tournament for Yamcha?  
"That's my father," said Trunks behind the other two. "Always wanting to help the damsels in distress."  
"You’re one to talk!” intervened Videl, who stepped beside him. “You do the exact same thing!”  
“Like father, like son. And I’m proud of it,” Trunks simply responded.  
“Sorry, guys! I changed my mind!” Yamcha apologized as he arrived in his wing. “Instead of having fun in the tournament, I’ll save these lost souls.”  
“As long as you don’t do anything stupid...” Kulilin retorted.  
In Universe 14’s space, #17 retrieved his sister. They did not speak, but the blonde risked a glance at that Universe 9. This Yamcha was much more different than she could know. What was he really? Was he telling the truth? Did he really want to help? Or was it just a trap? Forfeiting like that... it could just as easily show that he was telling the truth rather than manipulating her.

And she hated being manipulated... She had had enough of it with Gero, who promised them a better life before turning them into cyborgs. But Yamcha seemed... happy. He was much happier in his place that she was... It was good fun to destroy everything on Earth, but... Was he right? Did she expect more? Anything else? To end the killing and destruction? And the little old man in their group... seeing him hurt Eighteen’s heart. However, she pretended to ignore it...  
She did not know if she had to talk to her brother. She did not know how he would react... She, herself, did not know how to react to his. She just stared into Universe 9’s space...  
She had to make a decision... Anyway, one thing was certain: her power level was weaker than that of Yamcha. Would she really be unable to walk at all if she did not perform maintenance?  
Within a few seconds after Yamcha of universe 9 forfeited against android 18 from universe 14, the craters and cracks on the ring disappeared as it was molded into a perfect sphere once again. It was ready for the next fight. One of the Vargas in charge, equipped with a microphone, glanced from the large bay window at the top of the control room down toward the space for universe 2. Abruptly animated as if by a sudden rush of motivation, he exploded with exposition.  
“After this fight, we go to a peculiar universe. Our explorers were taken aback by it, due to its intense differences with the others.”  
The audience all fell silent at once, listening carefully. Who would fight whom? The Varga continued after what he was sure was a dramatic pause:  
“Universe 2 wasn’t discovered as much as it was imposed on us. I still don’t really understand myself. I would say they came to meet us…however, a few of them already knew before we had even arrived.”  
In fact, looking at the balcony of this universe, the heroes and villains of the various universes wondered how these strange contestants had gotten there. All looked very different, and few had any muscle mass. Clearly, they came from different backgrounds and different worlds: a motley tribe at best.  
The Varga paused again for a few seconds, almost as if he was waiting to receive a response from one of the thousands of spectators. Then he went on. “Two members of this universe are called for this match: Arale from universe 2 against Mary Sue from universe 2!”  
“N’cha!” shouted Arale immediately, raising her arm happily. She was glad it was finally her turn.  
The spectators in the stands seemed delighted: a fight between two opponents from the same universe would surely be balanced! The Varga did not wait, as was normally the case, for the two fighters to arrive in the ring.  
“The one thing Arale and Mary Sue have in common are their innocent faces. But Arale is a little girl; Mary Sue is one of, if not the most beautiful creature of all time and all universes! Mary Sue comes from the Orion Star, where she mastered all martial arts to perfection and beyond, and speaks all languages, even past and future. Descendant of the most powerful Saiyan princes, blood sister of the Nameks, including the Dragon Tribe, hidden daughter of Broly (the fearsome warrior previously defeated by the invincible Vegetto), Baddack the most popular of the Saiyans, and King Vegeta (not the one who lost miserably earlier), sister of Bulma – I don’t know how, but isn’t it wonderful? – fused with her double from the future, genetically altered, with an I.Q. of 250, she is also immortal, immune to all diseases, talks to animals and plants, enters dreams to bring us happiness, dazzles us with her light, has beautiful pure golden hair flying in the wind, revealing her beauty, and eyes that are a beautiful blue ocean and—”  
“What are you doing?” interrupted one of his friends, hands on his hips. “You don’t usually introduce people.”   
“I…I don’t know what happened to me!” said the lead Varga, suddenly becoming aware of where he was and what he had done.  
Both Vargas looked again at the space of Universe 2. Arale was already headed to the ring; Mary Sue walked slowly but gracefully as other warriors from her universe – Crono, Magus, Nekomajin – watched in awe. She was the center of attention for 99% of the people present at the tournament. Everyone was commenting; whistles from her male admirers echoed through the arena.  
Mary Sue seemed to be the perfect fusion of the greatest warriors and most beautiful women of all universes. She wore shoes that looked too much like those of the Nameks to be a coincidence, and a silken scarlet ribbon, the last memory of her father Baddack, was tied around her smooth and voluptuous thigh. Her shorts were torn off perfectly to accentuate her form, and they had a hole in the back to let out her beautiful brown tail that revealed her Saiyan blood. She was slender, with armor that displayed her stomach but framed her chest ideally. She had a guard on one shoulder – the left – while her other shoulder and arm was bare for all to admire. As if to balance, her right arm had a cuff like one of Vegeta’s that perfectly and beautifully completed her armor.  
“She’s so beautiful!” exclaimed hundreds of spectators in unison. Trunks from Universe 18 stood in awe, his eyes full of stars.  
Indeed, everyone – even the fighters – had just as much emotion at the sight of her. The participants were all filled with sudden bliss at this perfect being who delighted them all.  
“She’s like the big sister I never had!” said Bra from Universe 18, her eyes full of sparks, lifting one hand to her cheek unconsciously. She was following Mary Sue’s eyes as the siren walked toward her opponent with divine grace, and admired her perfect complexion, her beautifully-styled hair, her slender waist, her eyes so deep and pure…  
“I feel like I’ve always known her!” added Vegeta, bewildered at the sight.  
The prince of Saiyans seemed too captivated by so much beauty. “Probably Bulma’s genes,” he muttered. Indeed, he had a tremendous sense that there was something between them – a family resemblance? Something more? Despite how amazed he was, he didn’t feel surprised to see her…almost as if he was seeing his long-lost daughter. At that moment, he had almost forgotten his own daughter. What he had always dreamed of in his heart was there, only a few dozen yards away. Perfection itself.  
Pointy Namek ears, perfection? Even Vegeta did not seem bothered by this. Maybe they were all blinded by Mary Sue’s glistening hair and lovely eyes. Few viewers even noticed the sparkling earrings she wore. So far, everyone was still amazed.  
“Well, she seems to do quite an impression on the family!” exclaimed Gohan, surprised.  
“Dad, I didn’t understand. She can’t have three fathers…” Pan asked, embarrassed. She didn’t understand how all of her friends could be so attracted to this girl.  
Gohan suspected that there was something abnormal at work as soon as he saw Mary Sue. Was it magic? Was she purposefully doing it? Was it the power of literary trope? In any case, most of the people there were affected, but others weren’t, like himself, Pan, and his wife Videl. Trunks and Goten, on the other hand, were already loudly arguing over which of them would protect her from the dangers of the world.  
In the space of Universe 8, similar reactions were taking place. Lovebirds Butta and Jeece glanced at each other for a moment after contemplating the beauty that was Mary Sue. Neither spoke a word, but they imagined:  
‘Maybe I should change partners,’ thought Butta. ‘She seems even more versatile and open than Jeece.’  
‘Maybe I should change partners,’ thought Jeece. ‘She seems even faster and more flexible than Butta.’  
Freeza, due to his biology, felt nothing for Mary Sue. But he still saw that she was a pretty creature, which amused him. He turned to Kiwi. “Zarbon would be jealous; she is more beautiful than he ever was. He would have pursued her, no doubt, but she would have abandoned him as soon as she saw his monstrous side! It would have been priceless…”  
Mary Sue began to speak, clasping her hands just above her smooth chest. “It’s good I closed my eyes when the king created a moon, or I would no longer be perfect. I’d be transformed into a giant Oozaru-dragon-octopus-platypus…me who hates violence and monsters…but I must fight, to save my doomed people cursed by two hundred vile sorcerers, my friends in prison who have been denied cable television in their rooms, my evil interdimensional double, the one of the prophecy, the promise I made on the mountain to three thousand people, and the baby of Trunks, Piccolo, Goten, and Vegeta I bear.”  
Around the ring, the audience and the participants were stunned by her tragic and noble fate. As tears began to flow, voices full of pathos were heard:  
“Such a beautiful voice full of wisdom and sadness!”  
“Such a dreadful destiny!”  
“I’d give my life for her!”  
“I’d give my nine lives for her!”  
“I’d give my raspberry donut for her!”  
“Bear my child!”  
“Shut up, Kakarotto!” snapped Vegeta, suddenly jealous and also exasperated by the behavior of his fellow Saiyan. For some reason, Kakarotto seemed determined to find a wife at this tournament.  
“What!?” shouted Trunks and Goten simultaneously from both worlds 16 and 18. “You’ve already slept with her and she’s carrying your child?!” they exclaimed. “You’re sick! She was mine, my life, you traitor! And now that you have to take care of a kid, you can’t fight any more!”  
“Wait, don’t look at me like that, Gohan,” Piccolo exclaimed while his old pupil stared at him quizzically. “I cannot reproduce with any female of any species in any universe.”  
“Hoyoyo!” shouted Arale, who seemed unaffected by the speeches. “You must go on the ring, Madam!”  
Mary Sue finally leapt into the air, and flew gracefully toward the ring. Fighting a child…such a thing was beyond her principles, her vision of justice, friendship, love, tolerance, fashion sense…so as a prayer to the gods, Mary Sue continued her speech. “I must win. The dragon balls are my only hope. Let the Goddesses help me for this fight…”  
“Ta, tada da da!!!!” cried Arale. She did not listen at all. She ran very fast for a small kid, toward Mary Sue, and…  
WHAM!! Suddenly, in a display of violence unprecedented in this tournament, the terrible destructive horrible little Arale smashed her first into the face of poor sweet Mary Sue.  
Struck by this terrible uppercut, the poor girl flew up into the air, gripped in pain, banged against the moon, bounced off Mars (because the planets had been constructed especially for this tournament), and then finally crashed onto the floor with a thud, her perfect body splayed against the ring under her weight, despite how slender and perfect she was. Her bloodied head and chest were buried in the ring as the rest of her body stuck out stiffly. She trembled a little, then lay still. Above, the moon apologized for hurting her, and went away very sorrowfully.  
“Victoryyyy!” cried Arale, obviously pleased with her terrible act.  
But the Vargas could not so easily declare Mary Sue’s attacker to be the winner. They counted the seconds…sometimes more slowly than they otherwise would have, hoping to give their favorite another chance…but no. It was well and truly over. The announcer eventually decided to conclude the battle.  
“Ma—Mary was unconscious for 30 seconds!” said the Varga with tears in his eyes. “Arale from universe 2 wins!”  
“Bitch!” exploded Vegeta, terrible in his anger. “How could you hit that innocent girl? I’ll tear out your guts! I’ll avenge her honor!”  
“He’s really weird,” remarked Goku beside him. Strangely, the naïve side of Goku didn’t have to restrain the same overreaction.  
In space 16, Trunks was seized with a sudden deep depression. “I couldn’t manage…to protect you…” he cried, cherry blossoms falling around him to highlight the tragedy of what had happened. He clutched his arms against his body as if to console himself. He fought to keep the tears from flowing.  
Where did the flower petals come from?  
“Fate brought us together,” Trunks continued thinking, “but it was only sorrow in the end, because I cannot now but weep until the end of my days…you made me realize what was missing in me, and thou hast given new meaning unto my life…but I shalt not lose. For thee, I shall win and shall build a better world in thy name!”  
“That girl had a real unusual success, and I know what I’m talking about,” Kat said in space 6, holding her chin as she pondered this phenomenon surrounding Mary Sue. It was clear to her that there was highly powerful magic at work here, well above what she could do. Her pheromone was nothing compared to this.  
“That really wasn’t natural,” added one of her friends. “Rose petals started to fall all over the stadium when she lost…I wonder what magic this is.”  
Arale approached Mary Sue, tugged on her leg to pull her out of the ring, and carried her easily back to space 2. Everyone could see the head of the poor, wounded, almost-Mary-Sue. When she disappeared into space 2 (Arale being kind enough to go and put her in a bed), the rose petals covering the stadium disappeared, as did all thoughts about her.  
At the top of the control tower, the announcer Varga, who had been stunned in silence since announcing the defeat of the beautiful princess now so horribly disfigured, suddenly recovered his professionalism. “Er…Next! So…the next fight will be Gotenks from Universe 16 against Gotenks from Universe 18!”  
It was a shock for all four young men from worlds 16 and 18. They had all imagined hundreds of scenarios, opportunities, effective strategies to win one way or another. Anything but this!  
“But…that’s a huge waste of charisma!” one of the Trunkses cried, unable to believe it.

“Please step into the ring,” said the Varga to the boys as if to confirm that they were intended to fight.  
“Good idea, let’s get rid of these morons as soon as possible,” said Bra from universe 18, glancing at Goten.  
They seemed to be thinking, hands on hips, staring at the ground. After a few moments, they all ran inside. The audience waited. The Vargas grew impatient. The announcer looked at both space 16 and space 18.  
“So well…what are they waiting for?” he said, moments before a bright light glinted from inside the spaces of both universe 16 and 18…  
Trunks and Goten hurried into one of the small rooms within their space in order to prepare for the merger. The room was rather small, with a few couches and a table in the center. However, there was enough space to perform the fusion dance, the same one they showed to Trunks of Universe 12, who informed them that he was from the future.  
"Hurry and get into place," Trunks urged Goten as he positioned himself on one side of the room, stretching out his arms and lifting his left leg.  
Goten followed suit, mirroring his movements. With a serious expression they shared a look and nodded. Just like that it was done. Just as Son Goku had shown them twenty years ago, during his visit from the afterlife when Buu and Babidi were their enemies, the two made a few small steps on their tiptoes, pronouncing the first syllable of the magical words, while doing a semi-circle with their arms from one side to the other, arcing towards a common center.  
"Fuuuu ..."  
They were closer now, making sure their movements were always coordinated. The palms of their hands were open, almost touching, but it was not time for the fusion to be completed just yet.  
"-sion..."  
The two performed the second step of the dance, their legs mirroring each other, and their concentration at its peak.  
"...Ha!"  
When they first completed the dance in the past, they had merged into a rotund man, who faltered after three steps. The funny thing was they looked a little like the large Buu with a comically round belly. Subsequently, another failed merger resulted from their second attempt to do the dance: this time they were a skinny, weak, and frail old man. Weak coughs escaped his mouth, signaling someone incapable of fighting.  
For this tournament between different universes, Trunks and Goten had no right to fail. Their fingers touched, light invaded their bodies and the room for a few seconds. When the intense light disappeared, a new warrior stood in their place. One who looked like he was created for combat. Gotenks, the fusion of Goten and Trunks, was in place of the two teens, his power signified by his muscular, athletic shape.  
"Fusion successful!" said the warrior.  
His muscular body was perfect, cut out for combat. He wore white pants with a blue belt falling to his knees on one side. He also wore a jacket, made of some sort of strange material, flexible but yet not completely soft as fabric. The tunic was largely black and burnt orange at the shoulders. This was the garb of the fusion dance, a strange, magical occurrence. One could only wonder where those clothes came from. Where were Goten and Trunks? It was unlike the total fusion of the Potara earrings done by Goku and Vegeta. Moreover, another difference between the fusion was the voices. While Vegetto’s was a mix between the voice of Goku and Vegeta, Gotenks seemed to speak with two voices, those of Goten and Trunks. This gave the fusion another strange and unique difference.  
"Let us prove our mettle to everyone! I will succeed where others can only hope to fail!" Gotenks was hoping to find the ring was large enough to accommodate his battle; victory would be easier if this was the case. Gotenks liked to win, that much was obvious. He also liked to draw the attention of people...and this opportunity gave him the chance to show off to hundreds of thousands of people like never before. He did not have much time left, officially, to appear in the ring, but more than enough to give his lines. He had patiently waited for this with a childlike glee.  
"A Universal First! Before your very eyes!" Gotenks shouted for all the stadium to hear. "The idol of all the girls regardless of their planet! The greatest warrior of all universes!"  
Gotenks quickly appeared outside the corridor in his space. Just as quickly, he jumped into the ring to be the center of everything. Arm raised, he finished his reply:  
"The magnificent Gotenks!"

A long pause followed the boisterous introduction. No applause had followed, only silence. Everyone wanted a fight, not theater, or someone who believed they were the center of the world or the universe. And there Gotenks had nothing to say either, because it was not to be that he would end up at the center of everything. There was another like him. Right in front of him there was another, like a mirror image. Gotenks from Universe 16 was there; the fusion had worked for him too. Worse, he had released the same reply, and found himself in the same position.  
"Well, " Began Bra of Universe 16, already upset by the attitude of the four teens.  
One Trunks and Goten was annoying, but another pair? Nothing interesting would come from this match. Bra continued:  
"I'm going to eliminate the both of them immediately; they’re already starting to annoy me!"  
"Bra no ... " her half-brother Gohan cut in. "Let them have their fun," he insisted.  
"They are useless ... they better hurry up or I'll knock them out now." she argued.  
"We will be removed from this tournament if you intervene." He scolded her.  
"Not if the Vargas don’t see me." She countered.  
"Do not take the risk Bra," their father sternly intervened. Leave your brothers alone. Would you want them to interfere in your own fight?  
Bra said nothing in response, not even rolling her eyes at Vegetto. She would not intervene, but it didn’t stop her from being irritated.  
In the space 18, Pan wanted to encourage the fighter of her world:  
"Go Gotenks!" she cried, raising her arms.  
"Which one?" Bra asked as she was suddenly beside her.  
Pan did not move for a few seconds, staring at the ring above.  
"Well, ours ..." she finally answered without much conviction.  
"And do you see the difference? Where is ours?"  
Pan looked back to the ring. Both Gotenks had just run against one another, swirling around the ring trying to kick each other, both were dodging and parrying the others' attacks. At the moment Pan could not distinguish which one was of universe 18...she would have to wait until the fight ended.  
"In the worst case scenario," Bra of Universe 16 commented to her father and Gohan,"... it could last the full thirty minutes. After that, they'll most likely be eliminated."  
Indeed, after thirty minutes, the fusion would fade. Both Gotenks would return instantly into two sets of Gotens and Trunks. A dual battle was not planned by Vargas, with the way the tournament was set up, it had to be one-on-one. They would be eliminated. Bra had hoped for this outcome rather than an outright winner. It made sense that everyone who was important could advance quicker if they were both out of the running.  
Both Gotenks were obviously equal in power. Their techniques were the same. Among them, the spectators could see the Aero Mega Punch Mega and its variant the Aero Two Punch, Surprise Laser Gun, Kick'n Bang, Bang Kick'n back, Super Kick Boomerang, the Tactics Bear, Super Direct Law, the scope of the Whipped Cream, the technique of Missile, the Brain Cake, The Rain Fisticuffs, the Whirlwind Kick ... Techniques as ineffective as their names were ridiculous.  
In addition, each of these flashy attacks were executed at the same time. When the two strikes did not cancel, nor was each fighter constrained against the other, the two Gotenks took flight. Neither took advantage of this. Piccolo, be it the Universe 16 or 18 iteration, could have made more of the situation. Though Gotenks had grown, he kept the same lousy techniques used against Buu from twenty years previously.  
The Namek was exasperated - those techniques were just as terrible then as they were now, that much he was able to gauge clearly now that the threat of death wasn't looming over his head.  
Initially, the mirror battle had entertained the spectators who were intently watching the match. But after mirrored technique after mirrored technique and similar battle strategies went on for six or seven minutes the battle was becoming too repetitive. For the two warriors, it was fast becoming dull.  
"I'll surprise me by immediately transforming!" Gotenks thought! 'I must crush him soon.' He mentally added, before the fusion’s time limit kicked in.  
Gotenks distanced himself from the other who strangely reacted with the same motion. Then he concentrated all his strength. He would not transform into a Super Saiyan 1 or 2. No, like Son Goku did against Broly, who sped towards him when he was awakened, Gotenks would directly go to Level 3. For sure it would astonish the other him.   
And indeed, it astonished him as well. Gotenks deployed his force, suddenly changing from a normal Saiyan (or almost, since he had hair both black and purple), into a Super Saiyan 3. A bright light surrounded both Gotenks, while their lengthening hair became blond. A golden aura surrounded them while their muscles took the volume. Their eyebrows disappeared along with the bright light almost blinding the spectators.  
"This is the end for you, pale copy!" Gotenks screamed.  
Before the words fully left his lips, he realized that the other Gotenks had become a Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks as well, making it a battle of two Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks.  
"It's not possible!" Both commented, wide eyes filled with shock at the situation. Was there no way to surprise the other? Did everything they do or would do be the same every time?!  
"Amazing, they are exactly the same every time!" Goku stated, finding himself amused at how the fight was going.  
"This is pathetic!" Vegeta retorted. Like the Universe 16 Bra, he was bored. "They have a tremendous power and do not even deserve it!"  
"Do you think the fusion is cheating?" Pan asked innocently.  
Vegeta stared at her, but said nothing. It was clear that he indeed thought this. Especially since it involved Goten and Trunks, who he regarded as lazy.  
"It is true that without training, they still managed to raise a lot of power," Son Goku replied. It is thanks to their adult body. They gained strength with age. The fusion makes them a formidable warrior. Few people would be able to beat him.

Above them, the two Gotenks had resumed their fight. The shock-waves of their attacks were even more violent than before, in thanks to their multiplied power. Everyone felt the shockwaves of the parried attacks. From time to time, the Gotenks used their ki for more powerful attacks such as the Kamehameha. Their battle raged well over the whole stadium as every one of their attacks met its mirrored counterpart. But whether the attacks were a huge ball of blue energy or not, it didn’t matter, the two attacks always had the same power.  
Since neither would give in from ki attacks the other made they descended down. Moving quickly, they found themselves in the ring throwing punches, while above them exploded balls of energy which were once Kamehameha the fighters fired. Blue light dazzled the spectators and Gotenks, who both gave the other a hook punch, one giving a right hook and the other landing a left hook.  
But while everyone was expecting another big shock, there was almost nothing. Fists collided with a lot less violence than they should have. And the reason soon appeared obvious: the bodies of the two Gotenks had thinned a little, lost muscle mass. Their hair had shrunk to regain their size and their original color. Super Saiyan 3 was finished.  
"What? Already?" the two warriors exclaimed, surprised, because they barely sustained the form for two minutes.  
They knew that turning into Level Three reduced their fusion time and their energy would exhaust quickly, which made them lose their transformation once during the battle against Buu all those years ago. But this was much shorter than back then, shorter than the five minutes of that time. Why..?  
"This is the reality of level three ... " Vegetto gently remarked. "It takes all your power quickly and changes the time limit... Now that you are an adult and even more powerful, it is even worse! The more powerful you are the less Super Saiyan 3 holds out! I thought you boys would have understood this by now."  
"That's what you did at the end of the battle against Broly right?" Gohan was turning to his father.  
"Absolutely. I will not be held ten seconds. My power is so great that the time is accelerated. When I was Goku, I could easily take ten or twenty minutes in Super Saiyan 3. Especially when I was dead, as my body didn’t have to worry about the strain as much. Level 3 transformation is not like the other two. It’s like channeling all that power into the force of a single a blow. The power of the Level Three I used on Broly might be a hundred times more powerful than that which Goku of the Universe 18 would have been capable of, but in comparison it would have been a much shorter blow."  
So once again, both Gotenks did not concede defeat and bore down on each other, while a command center Varga meanwhile asked one of his relatives:  
"Don’t you get a headache when their head-feathers change color all the time?"  
"No more than their faces wolfing down all those dishes ... They are all very ugly if you ask me."  
"I pity their females."  
"I pity yours too."  
The first Varga laughed, and then after a few seconds, stopped and looked at his friend:  
"Wait, why did you say that?"  
And from the ring, suddenly, there were not two, but four warriors.  
"Huh?" All four young men gasped as they found themselves looking at their mirror image.  
They did not understand. They remained well within the time frame of the merger, in fact they had fifteen minutes left before it should have ended, even with the Level Three drain...This was not normal. Again, time was shortened more than expected.  
"Yes..." Vegetto was still explaining to Gohan, Piccolo, and Bra what happened. "The time of the fusion is also shortened by level 3... Especially since the power is...massive, you understand."  
"Aha! These morons will be eliminated for cheating!" Bra whooped in a joyful fit, pointing up to the sky.  
Both pairs of Goten and Trunks felt ill, embarrassed. They waited for the verdict of Vargas soon:  
"In...incredible!" The facilitator commented without turning his microphone to his beak.  
"Hey, you forgot to press the button that lets them hear you," another Varga beside him commented.  
"Oh pardon... Incredible!" he cried then. "Both fighters have split their bodies! What a turnaround!"  
"What? They’re not removed then?" Bra asked, beginning to lose hope.  
"Only one person entered the ring ... replied her father. They followed the rules even though they are two now."  
In the Command center, both Vargas resumed their discussion:  
"Odd that the two bodies resulting from this duplication are so different, right?"  
"Bah, they all look the same to me!"  
"You think they look like us?"  
"No, but are you blind? We all have different heads! As if we were the same size or have the same beak..."  
"Hm..."  
"YAAHHH!" cried the four warriors in the ring, throwing in every battle technique they knew.  
Initially, it was a real two against two, all transformed into Super Saiyan for the occasion. But soon, nobody knew who the other was. It was apparent that the fighters were no longer able to distinguish who was from which universe. Though pride prevented them from admitting that this was the result of an ineffective strategy. At last, one of the Trunks found himself next to a Goten:  
"Hey, what's your universe?" Goten warily asked the Trunks in front of him.  
"Well, I'm from Universe 18!"  
And VLAM! Goten was sent flying with a furious strike.  
"You're from 16?" The Goten questioned.  
"Obviously!"  
"But me too! I said if you were 18 in order to hit you from behind!"  
Goten once more fell under the astonished gaze of the other two.  
"Sorry, I am 18!" Goten exclaimed as he tried to hit Trunks.  
But the latter managed to escape the attack and reach his true friend who was struggling with the other Trunks suddenly; they had realized that they were not of the same coin.  
"We need to fight against our double!" Both teens proposed at the same time.  
"We have no choice ..."  
Without a word, the two walked away, Goten and Trunks both prepared for battle. They were already tired from the fusion. However, they were far from finished. Always equivalent, level minded, none willing to give up; and during eighty-four thousand, eight hundred seventy-five identical shots they traded, they could no longer hold the Super Saiyan transformation. All their hair went back to their base states, black for Goten, and purple for Trunks.  
The battle seemed like it was unending until an occurrence tipped the balance in one universe's favor. Following their fight as Gotenks, the ring had suffered some damage and was no longer perfectly round. After stopping a shot from the air, one of the two Trunks put his foot in a hole in the ring, and lost his balance. The other Trunks could not resist taking advantage of this immediately.  
"I have the advantage!" he said, flanking a powerful punch.  
Caught off guard at the time, his double, unbalanced, fell violently on the ground.  
"Aha! It is two against one now!" Trunks exclaimed, making a breathless gasp as he sweated while the other happily pounced, but almost immediately the Gotens made their moves, clutching the T-shirts of the lavender fighters... before stopping not three yards away.   
"Uh... Which one of you is with me?"  
Both Gotens looked, then let go of the T-shirt of the other. They were clearly tired too.  
"Bah, whatever,'' one of the two grumbled.  
"Tell me your universe and it wins. I'm tired," the unidentified Goten spoke to Trunks.  
"I'm... 18... " Trunks said after remaining silent for a few moments with a touch of suspense.  
"Yes!" Goten of Universe 18 cheered with clenched fists, victorious.  
"Phew...what a mess," said the other before joining his comrade, who stood up painfully.  
Having heard both Trunks and Goten, the leader shouted into his microphone so the result:  
"It's Gotenks of Universe 18 who wins this match!" One of the Vargas announced.  
Welcoming one another, the two warriors in Universe 18 returned to their room to be welcomed by Uub and Pan, who aided them in flying only to get yelled at by Bra. After all, if she had to stay through the fight until one Gotenks won, then she would have favored that it would have been the Gotenks from her universe. But no, once again, her two older brothers had disappointed her by stubbornly persisting...  
By the time they reached the ground Trunks began snapping at his friend for the loss.  
"Damn, why'd you suggest such a proposal?"  
"It's not my fault! I had hoped that it was you who I was talking to!"  
"But you weren’t, it was a risky strategy and now we have lost!"  
"Yeah, I know..."  
They stayed in the air a few seconds longer than their counterparts of U18, without speaking, without looking. Finally, Goten broke the silence:  
"I don't know about you, but I don’t want to go to our space yet..."  
"Yeah...chances are our sister still has plenty yelling in her system ..."  
"Your sister is really terrible..." commented the Universe 18 Trunks.  
"It is also kind of your fault I'm out."  
Suddenly, a voice that should have been in a soft voice, a voice of a young girl, called out in a harsh tone:  
"Well then, you're back?" Bra cried from space 16. "Losers! Cowards! Band of incompetents!"  
The two friends finally bid goodbye and consented to join their families, preparing to receive bad reviews, and insults, from their beloved sister.  
"There is almost no recovering from that one, huh?” one of the host Varga said to another Varga, who just shrugged his shoulders, knowing no more than he.  
After the long match between both Gotenks and the rapid reconstruction of the ring, the announcer Varga announced that the next fight would now take place:  
“The next match will be between Romanesco of Universe 10 and Nekomajin of the universe 2; once again, another forfeit!” he stated, announcing that one of the fighters had previously quit.

The victory had already been given to the fighter from universe 2. A few words passed between the inhabitants of that space, just as Trunks and Goten were having their own discussion in the wake of this announcement.  
“It's gotta be Saiyan,” Trunks said. “It's a long and ugly name, just like the name Kakarotto.”  
“Of course the fighter is a Saiyan,” Goten replied, ignoring the insult to his father. “The Nameks have short, bouncy names like Dende.”  
“Bouncy?” Bra asked, already exasperated. “Just what are you two talking about now?”  
“The people of Universe 10, the Nameks, have already left. We’re guessing the species of the fighter who’s going to fight next based on their names.”  
“What? At most, you know three Saiyan names and three Namek names, not including your own. How can you come to a conclusion based on that?”  
“It’s very simple, my dear,” Trunks began with a faux scholarly tone. “We noticed that there are some common names that we recognize, and in fact, it’s something of a rule! In fact, the names of both the Nameks and the Saiyans fit with one overall system!  
“Wh ... what?”  
Goku, Vegetto, and Universe 18 all seemed to be interested. Commonalities between all the names of Saiyans and Nameks? It was an interesting theory.  
Trunks pretended to adjust a pair of imaginary glasses that hung on the ridge of his nose.  
“It's easy! The name of Saiyans are hard and sharp, strong and crackly-sounding. Saiyan names have more than one syllable and they are spoken in a threatening manner.”  
“While Nameks,” continued Goten, “have names that are mild and short -- green-sounding -- spoken in a melodious tone.”  
“Green, melodious?” Bra questioned, still feigning disinterest.  
“Yes. Piccolo can confirm the theory, right?”  
The great Namek had already taken a spot away from the group and looked straight ahead, pretending to completely ignore the conversation.  
In space 2, Nékomajin snapped his fingers and walked forward, looking as serious as he could.  
“Where you going?” asked Beelzebub from behind him just before Nékomajin headed to the ring.  
“I have to fight, I was called,” he answered, turning to the little demon.  
“You don't need to! Your opponent has already forfeited!” Beelzebub replied.  
“I won’t flee! Even against a forfeit!” the fighter stubbornly replied.  
“That’s the point, you don’t need to fight.”  
“What? There is another Nekomajin here? I'm sorry that I tried to take his place. I'll let him fight, then. I'll wait my turn. We magical cats have an understanding.”  
Another character from their universe came to the rescue of the two little devils. He finished rolling his cigarette. Despite his enormous head, he seemed the most adult person in the group.   
“Universe 10 abandoned the tournament earlier, remember? You've already won.”  
“Really? I won before even stepping into the ring? I'm very disappointed! Once, I fought against a dead leaf that fell from a tree -- even that took longer than this!”  
“You see,” Dr. Slump said to Beelzebub, “use simple words and speak in a straightforward fashion. You can trust me; talking to idiots is my specialty!”  
“N'Cha!” cried little Arale, pouncing on him and planting a Varga feather from the ground in his hair. “Indian! The Doctor is an Indian!”  
“Ouch! Silly little child, do not plant things in my head!” As he spoke, his mouth seemed to become greater than his body.  
“But when do I get to fight?” asked the blue cat, who still looked quite disappointed.  
“Well, the next round....” Beelzebuub replied.  
“Ugh, I wanted to fight. Why did those other fighters leave? They could have stayed; I wonder what are they doing now?”  
“I guess they all returned home?” Beelzebub answered, unsure of the answer himself.  
Piccolo in space 18, due to his highly developed hearing and his space's proximity to space 2, listened to their conversation. He commented to his friends: “The blue cat really wanted to fight....”  
“I wonder how strong it is.” Gohan wondered. Unlike most of the competitors the docile warrior did not wear a look of fierceness.  
“Have you noticed? It has the same outfit as Grandfather,” remarked Pan.  
“Yes, it's strange, I wonder what connection there is between him and us,” murmured her father. “Maybe this is a coincidence?”  
“He was lucky, I think, not to fight,” continued Piccolo. “He does not look stronger than the Saiyans from universe 10, and his intelligence is primitive at best.”  
“If the Saiyans all stayed on their home planet, of course they are not that strong,” Uub interrupted. He glanced at Vegeta, fearing that he would take any insults launched against the Saiyans badly.  
But Vegeta gave no indication that he cared. Many years had passed, and the prince no longer cared for the planet that was annihilated by Freeza. It was true that Planet Vegeta was not at all like the Earth. Their standard of living without Freeza would not have moved all that fast. Even if he was the king, he understood that ruling such a planet would not have brought him happiness.  
Still consumed by his thoughts, Vegeta wondered something about his double in the tenth universe ... And strangely, his counterpart of 13 thought the same thing:  
“Those other Saiyans are really queers.”  
“They would have been easy victories....” added Raditz, agreeing with him.  
“If there is no challenge, it is pointless; you wouldn't be able to improve,” interjected Kakarotto.  
“If I had fought, instead of the other -- that other one of the universe 18,” Vegeta began to say, “I would have had a very interesting fight.”  
“Yeah, your counterpart was humiliated,” Raditz added. “Even as an Oozaru, he was so easily beaten.”  
“Those Saiyans did not deserve to be here,” Vegeta continued, speaking of universe 10. “It was only the scum who did not fight. Your father,” he said, looking Kakarot and Raditz “...was humiliated by a girl. That was ridiculous!”  
Raditz, who, unlike Kakarotto had known his father, gritted his teeth but controlled himself. Family didn't mean much to Saiyans, but still....  
Kakarotto smiled. “I am fighting the next round; I’ll massacre my next opponent!”  
Nappa snorted. “There's nothing honorable about that,” the bald warrior quipped. “A girl will be your next opponent! I, on the other hand, will face Freeza...now THAT is the challenge!”  
“Yes, that's it, you're going to be ripped to bloody ribbons.” Kakarotto laughed loudly at the older Nappa.  
“Whether against Freeza or against a kid, we have to win,” Vegeta announced. “We need to show others that we are the most powerful race, the only ones capable of ruling a universe and more. That's much more than ruling a single planet that’s almost entirely desert.”  
The four Saiyans in the universe 13 thought for a moment about the possible reign of the shabby, bearded Vegeta. They all came to the same conclusion: without Freeza and his empire, they would have remained small, harmless gorillas. Even if the tyrant DID destroy their planet...was it a blessing in disguise? Vegeta wondered what he would have chosen if he could go back: a nation of hundreds of thousands of warriors, living sadly on one planet...or just four strong warriors and lordship of the universe?  
No, the choice was an easy one. He would have had nothing different. He would have preferred ruling over the universe to mere reign over Planet Vegeta. But he understood, after the fights so far, that he could do nothing.  
When the Vargas first arrived, he began to develop plans...a way to expand his kingdom. But this tournament had shattered those plans. He was nowhere near strong enough to do anything; his only choice was to flee, abandon his dreams and go home.  
Vegeta of Universe 10 could never reach the level and the rank of the Vegeta from Universe 13. But that didn't mean that he lacked the desire....

A few hours earlier, shortly after the victory of Universe 18's Pan, Baddack returned to the Saiyans in the space for Universe 10. All the Nameks from that universe forfeited and asked the Vargas to take them home.  
The leader of the Saiyans pulled a simple, light blanket, dirty and brown, around his waist to cover himself. King Vegeta was furious. He paced around the space, careful to stay outwardly calm. He had been humiliated! He was even more furious that one of the warrior Nameks had won his match. Victory for them, but none for his Saiyans. It was an unbearable shame. How could he be so miserable in their universe?  
Other thoughts plagued the king’s mind. How could warriors exist who were so much more powerful -- by far! Baddack, the strongest warrior after Vegeta, had lost against a mere teenager. What powers could her parents have? Another Vegeta, his counterpart in the world 18, was much more powerful than him. Despite his transformation into the Oozaru, which always multiplied Saiyan powers tenfold, his double had conquered him in one kick. This other Vegeta hadn't transformed at all. He had no tail -- such a disgrace. What a humiliation!  
Vegeta recognized that his group of Saiyans seemed too unsophisticated compared to others. They sorely lacked technology, he realized. Many of the other groups had armor. A third "double" had a white and red cape. No doubt, such trappings commanded respect. This was far different from the skins that all the Saiyans wore.  
Not too long ago, the Saiyans had destroyed a people, Tsuffles. Vegeta had not participated, but his father was the greatest hero of the fight. He became King after that terrible night of the full moon where all transformed into Oozaru, when they had destroyed all the Tsuffules’ cities. Baddack had fought at the time as well. Should they have appropriated the Tsuffle knowledge? Instead of destroying everything, should they have let a few Tsuffles live to acquire technology?  
Today, the Saiyans were overcrowded. Only a small minority had come to the tournament, and an even smaller portion of those were even registered. Barely half had participated before forfeiting, and they hadn't won a single battle.  
The population of Planet Vegeta currently exceeded ten thousand. Any more, and the planet could not really survive at all, not with their current technology. The Saiyans were combatants, not farmers. Revolts broke out every day, fights between neighbors. Their thirst for killing was all too obvious. The Saiyans were too close to the animals. If they had a better world to feed everyone, they would not be there. Travel, like the Vargas were capable of -- if only they could colonize other planets!  
As if his thoughts had been heard, the older Baddack approached Vegeta quietly.  
“Should we seize their ship?” he asked, just as they left the stadium at the moment and followed three Vargas onto a ship.  
Vegeta did not answer. He glanced at his father, who followed slowly. The former king's eyes said it all -- he had the same look as when he had planned the genocide of the Tsuffles. The king, without speaking, began to do some calculations.  
Roughly speaking, they were as numerous as the Nameks, who continued to follow their victorious fighter. The Vargas appeared weak. In the ship, there wouldn't be more than twenty. The other Nameks would not be so numerous either. What was their firepower? What level were the other warriors and the Namek Nail? Were they stronger than them? And what of the Oozaru form? Vegeta hoped that it wouldn't be necessary. Anyway, if they decide to attack, it should be done soon...but they needed to wait for the right opportunity. They needed to be both discreet and extremely effective. Acquiring the technology, and seeing the ship as a whole, would be a great step for his people.  
Still walking, Vegeta set his plan into action. “These sparrows will pay for having humiliated us,” he thought.  
As the group boarded the ship, the Vargas asked their passengers which home planet they should visit first.  
“Bring the Nameks home first,” Vegeta answered immediately, surprising everyone.  
Baddack and former King Vegeta would have answered the opposite. If they returned to Planet Vegeta first, they could have acquired reinforcements...why Planet Namek?  
“Is that okay with the Namekians?,” inquired the blue haired Varga, speaking to the green warriors.  
“Absolutely.” Nail spoke for his group.  
The Varga left without a word, presumably to set up the navigation system. Another took his place to direct the Nameks and Saiyans to their respective quarters. The Nameks immediately took their places on the shuttle in preparation for landing on their planet, while the Saiyans remained in the main section of the mothership ready to take their own turn.  
Once alone, Vegeta explained his plan to his warriors. They would make two groups. The first was to move toward the bridge of the mothership and take control. The second would stay with him, watching the group of Nameks in the other ship in the hangar. If they destroyed it, all those on board would perish, leaving them in control.  
“I have a question, my king,” asked Mahissu at the end of the Vegeta's explanation. “Why did we not ask to land on Planet Vegeta instead?”  
“It is obvious,” replied Baddack. “Being the first to go home, they are the first to enter the shuttle. Once they are on the planet, we will have both the shuttle and the mothership under our control,” he said, looking at Vegeta to make sure he had guessed correctly.  
“We do not need the shuttle,” Vegeta corrected. “If the mothership can land on the asteroid here, it can land on a planet. If worst comes to worst, we fly out on our own, if the mothership stays in space. In addition, we will be near a habitable planet, so that will be our first conquest...I heard it was some rare kind of planet.”  
Nobody said a word. They had never flown so high in the sky. It is true that some played games, racing to see who could fly the highest without suffocating. Vegeta had never participated in such "activities". But if his counterparts said they could fly in space for a few minutes, then he should be able to as well. Unless this was a trick? One way to seem the strongest? But the question would be settled later. The most important thing was to take possession of the bridge.  
The two groups were chosen. Mahissu and ten other warriors would be responsible for destroying the shuttle and Nameks. Others had to attack the bridge. Calmly, they waited for the signal from Vegeta. It was enough to wait until they arrive in their world, and the planet Namek.  
The Vargas mothership took off with a loud roar, kicking up a thick cloud of dust. The asteroid faded away quickly behind the vessel, which stopped after a few minutes. Clearly, to activate the transition from one universe to another required a different engine. This took place quickly, without the Saiyans noticing. Then, the vessel resumed its route on its way to Namek. The planet was quickly reached. No beings in their universe had a spaceship as fast as that of the Vargas.  
When Vegeta decided to launch an attack, the Nameks and Vargas around the shuttle were preparing for the landing. Vegeta and his group walked calmly towards the single corridor leading to the bridge, and when the shuttle opened, they burst into action. All moved at high speeds, killing Vargas and Nameks by surprise. In moments, they had arrived at the heavy white door leading to the bridge.  
Mahissu and his group launched their own attack. Half the group took care of Vargas and Nameks outside the shuttle; the other half launched dozens of energy beams at the shuttle until its engines ignited. Everything happened in the space of a few seconds. The shuttle exploded, collapsing in on itself in a shower of fire and sparks. The rest of the Nameks and Vargas died either at the hands of a Saiyan or by the violent explosion of the shuttle. The swift and coordinated attack had worked.Neither Namek nor Varga had seen it coming. The shuttle explosion killed many people on the spot. None of the Vargas or Nameks of Universe 1 had survived. Among the dozens of Nameks of Universe 10, only four survivors could be accounted for, including two in critical condition.  
Strenuously lifting a large piece of burnt hull, Nail freed an injured Namek at his feet. Nail was covered with wounds and burns, and he regretted not accepting healing after his fight with Reacum. He was running low on energy. At his feet was a Namek in an uncertain state. He was alive, but probably not for long. Nail carried him and laid him gently on the ground, a few meters away from the ruins of the ship. Behind him a slightly-dazed Namek, who was less injured than Nail, freed himself. It was Cargot! There was another Namek, conscious, but with arms and legs in a pitiful state. As Nail turned to the Saiyans, who did not budge and decided to merely watch the events unfold, he asked for help before returning to the burning ship's debris to help two members of his people. Helping Cargot carry another Namek, they proceeded together to find the Namek that Nail had saved. But they suddenly stopped in shock. Three Saiyans had just arrived next to the Namek, smiling with sadistic grins on their faces. Outstretching their arms and fixing their eyes on Nail and Cargot, they fired several bursts of energy. Nail and Cargot couldn't understand and didn't think any further. Seeing one of their brethren being killed in cold blood, especially when he was helpless, had pushed all thought from their heads, preventing them from detecting the group of Saiyans who attacked them from the side. Cargot was violently kicked in the back, which forced him to fall forward with a cry of pain. The other Namek lost balance, and then fell on his right side; a Saiyan then grabbed his face from the front before the poor creature could even land on the ground and slammed him backwards with a violent crash. Nail turned and was struck with a punch that knocked him back.  
"C'mon! Finish them off quickly!" Mahissu cried.  
Nail and Cargot seemed to recover. Narrowly avoiding energy blasts, they started to fight again. Unfortunately, their friend was unable to move, and he subsequently suffered the wrath and vengeance of the Saiyans. Nail clenched his teeth and fists, and Cargot shouted the name of their friend. Both were now driven by a terrible anger against these primitive people. If they wanted a fight, they would get one! Cargot released his power, revealing a white aura around him. Nail prepared to power up, but no aura appeared; he was far too weak...  
"Kill them! It's just two of them against eight of us!" Mahissu cried again, ordering an assault.  
The Saiyans separated into two groups and attacked Nail and Cargot. Although they were wounded and exhausted, they were both stronger than any Saiyan of this caliber. In a one against four, they were able to counter, dodge, and even get some shots in. The Saiyans were strong, motivated, and stubborn. Whenever one fell, he would always get up quickly to help the other three. Whenever they could, they would grab the Namek by his arms and let the other beat him. But despite whatever tactics they tried, they were still weaker than the Namek warriors. Mahissu was enraged by the fact that there were still two survivors. His king was not going to pleased, and would he himself survive if he was the bearer of this news? Mahissu hesitated as he narrowed his options: should he flee with the last two Saiyans standing, or fight to the death to avoid Vegeta's wrath. He did not really have time to think. The Nameks attached from side to side and Mahissu had just enough time to duck and squeeze between the two to run a few meters. When he turned, the other two Saiyans were beaten. Mahissu was stuck. Between the corridor leading to the bridge and his king stood two very upset Nameks. So he had failed the mission he was assigned... If only he was stronger! If only he knew how to become the mighty Oozaru without the full moon!  
Furious, he lunged at the Nameks, shouting with his fists clenched and ready to strike. He did not even touch them; he could not even get within three meters of them: Cargot and Nail both launched a huge energy attack that almost entirely vaporized him in seconds. They took a deep breath after the murder, and rested for a long time to wonder why they were able to do so, before noticing that there were no longer any more Saiyan groups in the hanger. After exchanging a glance, Nail and Cargot moved quickly towards the bridge.

When the two Namek survivors entered the command bridge of the Varga mother-ship, they saw King Vegeta firmly grasping a yellow-feathered Varga's throat; it seemed that the Varga was the commander. A quick glance across the rest of the large room allowed Nail and Cargot to realize the gravity of the situation.  
The Saiyans had apparently destroyed the front door with an explosion, and then entered, killing all thos who were there. The Nameks and Vargas were surprised. Before one of them could even move, almost all of them hit the ground. At the control panel, singed by the energy balls, and still smoldering in his seat lay a bloodied Varga. King Vegeta stood at the center of the carnage, surrounded by his henchmen and his old father, who all watched. Vegeta smiled, and seemed annoyed at the same time. He was close to 'discovering' the secret of space travel, and perhaps he would be able to travel across the universe.   
"Tell me! How do you work this thing?" he shouted at the frightened and strangled Varga.  
"We've reached the Nameks' planet!" yelled another Saiyan who looked through the large glass bay, through which a green planet seemed to grow in size.  
"Drop him!" Nail shouted back at Vegeta.  
He actually dropped him, surprisingly enough; He forcefully dropped the little Varga to the ground, who could not get up immediately and tried to resume proper breathing first. Vegeta then turned to the two uninvited guests, and soon imagined what could have happened for them to arrive without Mahissu's group in pursuit. He had to improvise his plan... Unsurprisingly, it was a low blow to his pride; he had no idea how those Nameks beat his fighters. Perhaps?  
The two Nameks stood ready. For them, there was no doubt that there was no doubt that they were stronger than one Saiyan. But a dozen? Maybe not. It was not wise to take such a risk. Nail was exhausted. But the situation was delicate. Avoiding a fight altogether was a good idea, but what then? They could not trust the Saiyans to sit quietly in the corner. If they attacked or were attacked, it would turn into a massacre, and it would be difficult to protect the injured Varga. And they could not locked remain in this face-off forever. Someone had to act to resolve the situation...  
If they landed on Namek with the mother-ship, their brethren could come and overpower the Saiyans that didn't want to leave. Unfortunately, there was only one creature capable of doing that. Nail and Cargot would not be able to make a landing with such a big ship; they would still have to understand how to control it...  
Vegeta was smart and came to exactly the same conclusions. Almost. He had a trump card up his sleeve; a surprise that could allow him to take over... But he needed to buy some time. And he was lucky: all his men were accounted for. A few losses here and there were negligible if he could get his hands on the power to travel through space.  
"Attack them! Kill them!" he ordered his warriors, who immediately threw themselves at both Nameks, while his father retreated, too old to fight.  
They immediately defended themselves, first parrying punches and kicks, and counter-attacking successfully. Vegeta grabbed the vest of the Varga who was still on the ground, lifting his hand as if it were a baby, and began to rush towards the to two Nameks... not to hurt the Varga, but to buy enough time to keep the others occupied and to reach the hangar where he had enough space to transform into the Oozaru, thus increasing power above that of the Nameks.  
But when he reached the hallway, a sudden feeling of weakness ran through his body, from his tail through his legs. He had been grabbed at the location where all Saiyans were weak: his tail. Turning, he saw that it was Nail who had barely caught it, even though he was beaten. Screaming in pain, he dragged himself closer, and the Saiyan flew, with the Varga under his arm, to the command center.  
He gradually regained his senses to notice that everything was going wrong: among his henchmen, there were only five left who were still standing and fighting. "Too bad, I have no choice," thought King Vegeta, finally releasing the Varga to concentrate the energy in his hand.  
Occupied by Vegeta's men, Nail and Cargot did not notice that Vegeta used the same 'attack' against his counterpart in the tournament. A blue ball of light appeared in the palm of the Saiyan and he let it rise to the ceiling of the control room. It was not very high, but the room was wide enough for the transformation.  
"You're insane! Don't do it now!" cried Vegeta's father, who still remained in his corner.  
While his son was already mid-metamorphosis, he turned to him. His nose and mouth had already transformed into the snout of the Oozaru, and the muscles and hair that grew already tore through his clothes.  
"You're getting on my nerves, old man!" he said simply as his eyes turned crimson.  
He reached out his arm and launched an energy beam at his horrified father. The explosion killed him instantly.

King Vegeta quickly finished his metamorphosis into the mighty Oozaru, multiplying his power. As his size increased, at the half-transformed state, he violently punched out part of the ceiling. But there was nothing above the roof. All that remained beyond was space: the interstellar void.  
The air began to escape from the ship, and the lifeless bodies of Nameks, Vargas, and Saiyans flew out quickly. Nail and Cargot managed to keep their feet on the ground, while Baddack and Romanesco clung tightly to the control panels. The others were gone. Vegeta, in full Oozaru form, was well-off. The small Varga managed to remain clinging to the fur on the legs of Vegeta, who did not even feel it. For once, a Saiyan could save his life rather than strangling it out of him; he was going to take full advantage of the opportunity.  
Because of the hole in the hull, the Varga ship began to pitch, to spin, and fly straight towards the planet. There was no way to control the ship now, and even Vegeta did not know what to do. He had not expected the ship to lose stability... or crash land. The king got angry, losing a bit of air in the process, even though he could hold his breath for several more minutes. In his rage, he knocked the hull of the ship several times, and suddenly, he firmly gripped Nail who screamed in pain. Like an upset child, Vegeta threw the vulgar toy at the planet, before finally being sucked into the empty vacuum of space...  
Nail used all his remaining strength to slow his fall. he had very quickly reached his home planet's atmosphere and fell like a meteorite. Not so far from him, Vegeta, still in Oozaru form, also fell like a stone, shrieking all the while. Above them circled the ship, which was still crash-landing, leaving behind a fiery trail. With one last successful ki attack to the ground, Nail succeeded in breaking his fall to move towards the green water in the ocean. If he fell straight, he knew he would survive. Vegeta fell on his back and on land. He created a huge crater in which sea water began to rush. Shocked, and because he could no longer see the luminescent energy that maintained his Oozaru transformation, he returned back to his normal form. He was severely injured and unconscious, dying slowly. Then, it was the ship that hit the ground, the rear of the machine that broke away from the front exploding, and sliding hundreds of meters before finally reaching a halt.  
Several hundred miles away, in a village, a chief Namek appointed several men, including healers to get to the scene of the accident, hoping to find survivors...  
Nail woke slowly, as his wounds and pain disappeared. When he opened his eyes at last, the comforting feeling that he lavished ceased. First, it took a few seconds for his fuzzy vision to become accustomed to the light. Since he had left his planet, all he saw was space, and the Multiverse Tournament's arena was not much brighter... Dende's smiling face appeared into focus in front of him, with the tears in his eyes becoming clearer.  
"Dende?" the warrior said weakly before recovering slowly.  
"Nail!"  
Dende resisted the urge to jump onto his friend's neck. He was scared; Nail was almost dead and it was primarily through a good deal of luck that he had survived.  
Nail took a few moments to regain his senses and look around a bit. Dende was with three other accompanying Nameks: another healer and two warriors. The latter looked in the same direction, to a distant place from the other side of the nearby sea, where thick dark grey smoke (with hints of black), stood high in the green Namekian sky. Suddenly everything came back to him. Nail suddenly rose, fists clenched, ready to fight.  
"We separated into three groups," intervened Dende. "The first is headed to the crash site, the other one over there, where a monster crashed..." he said, pointing to the distance off to the right side.  
"That's King Vegeta..."  
"Who?"  
"He's dangerous! If he survived, we shouldn't heal him!"  
"We can't let anyone just die like that..."  
Nail said nothing. It was not at all like the Nameks to let a living being die. But what to do that living creature it was vile and evil?  
"Anyway, I gotta go. I'm going off to help the first group."  
Without waiting a second longer, he fixed onto Vegeta... the man who had nearly killed him... who by his orders and plans had struck down many Nameks... Nail flew off quickly, following the direction that Dende had pointed out. The former did not want to lose a minute, and decided to follow.  
In three minutes, Nail arrived on the scene. He expected to see an Oozaru, but instead he saw a naked and wet man, who was lying near a crater filled with water. Three Namek warriors were there around him, while a healer... had already applied first aid!  
"No, wait!" cried Nail, advancing rapidly.  
But it was too late. King Vegeta began to regain consciousness. Nail pounced to subdue the king immediately. The treatment, was no issue; Nail was far stronger than him. If Nail could prevent Vegeta from using his arms, there would be no problem.  
"Get off me! Bastard!" shouted Vegeta, invigorated by a sharp pain in his arms, was now fully awake.  
"You shall not harm anyone else," calmly replied the Namek warrior who had defeated Reacum, while he raged inwardly.  
Dende arrived in turn, followed by three other warriors. Nobody even knew what happened... The hypothesis of the accident had already been chosen from the beginning. Nail explained to his brethren quickly, and he when he spoke of their dead brothers, betrayed, killed in the explosion of the shuttle, all the warriors shook their teeth, cursing King Vegeta, but still controlled their rage, firmly planting themselves on the ground.  
The young Dende approached, and with a snap of fingers, conjured a very strong rope that Vegeta could not destroy with the sheer force of his arms.  
"I hope that the first group found survivors..." said Dende as he regarded Vegeta, before flying to the remains of the crashed Varga mothership, followed by the whole Namek group.  
Nail carried Vegeta, supervising him closely. The King continued to scream, struggle, and liberate his wrists in vain.  
The carcass of the ship was still smoking in places, but all the fires were out. Fifty meters away, the bodies of the Nameks, Vargas, and Saiyans were placed next to each other. The other bodies were continuing to be added to the already long list of the dead, carried by several Nameks that sifted through the rubble hoping to find survivors. Nail found a small smile forming on his face, noting that Cargot was standing in full health, currently restraining another Saiyan that had survived. It was the one who had lost to the teenage girl: Baddack. A few yards away stood two Vargas who were arguing with a healer Namek. They must have been recounting the story of what happened...  
Nail landed near Cargot and dropped Vegeta, who fell heavily onto the brown and green ground. Dende rushed to materialize a second that snapped and attached itself to Baddack, before seeing Cargot and sharing a smile with him.  
"We'll gather the gather the Dragon Balls," said Dende, maintaining his grin. "We'll bring back our friends!"  
Nail never even thought of the idea; he had been distracted by the loss his friends and too focused on Vegeta to prevent him from escaping or waiting for the opportunity to take revenge.  
The two Vargas as well as their interlocutor Namek approached, while the two Saiyans learned of some vital information: the Dragon Balls! The wish-making balls that they would have gotten if they had won the tournament! They were here too, and the Nameks were the guardians! If only they could get their hands on them, and resurrect their brethren...  
"If you will, Master Nameks," said the little voice of one of the Vargas, "the first wish should be to bring back to this planet the souls of our dead, before reviving them with the second wish. If you do not mind, with the third one, we could repair the ship and go home.  
"If the Saiyans attacked shortly before arriving in our planet," began Dende, "it wouldn't be a problem. There would be no need for the first wish; they can be revived here."  
"You're not factoring in our technology," replied the Varga. "Our mothership has a lot of speed. I'm afraid, that our first casualties took place in the vacuum of space, hundreds of thousands of miles away. Better be careful."  
"Okay," understood Dende. "But unfortunately, the Dragon Balls can only resuscitate one person at a time!"  
"Oh!" the Varga exclaimed, astonished. "Ours, that is to say, the Nameks from our universe, must have upgraded them..."  
"You should talk to our Elder Moori," Nail intervened. "If we must upgrade the Dragon Balls, he alone can do it and must make a decision."  
Dende nodded, then left after a few minutes to find the leader of their tripe and gather the seven Dragon Balls, to see if he could actually improve their powers but still grant three wishes. It took less than two hours to gather the crystal spheres. On the other hand, Moori, who agreed to help his family and the Vargas, took a few days to increase Porunga's power.  
During those few days, the two Saiyans were forced to help work the many Namekian fields, assisted by two survivor Vargas, who wanted to help even if their contribution was small. The day the Dragon Balls were ready, the Saiyans, monitored by Nail and Cargot, and the Vargas returned to the crash site of their mothership, while from their main village, Dende invoked the Sacred Dragon.  
For the first time, the Saiyans discovered the magic of the myth. The sky darkened immediately (Vegeta tried to find a moon!). And in the distance, a bright light rose in the sky, before taking the form of a strange green dragon, who turned his back towards them. Despite the significant distance between them, they heard the dragon utter words, but only in the Namekian language. A few seconds later, the effects of the first two wishes were visible, and even if they had expected it, the two Saiyans were struck speechless: the lifeless bodies of the Nameks and Vargas were reanimated together. As if waking from a deep sleep, they first stirred their arms and legs, before opening their eyes and sitting up. As they rose out of the 'coffins' that the Nameks had created to hold the bodies, it did not take long for them to realize what was happening. A few more seconds passed, and then it was the remains of the Varga mothership that suddenly took form . With its chrome and white colors sparkling, it looked good as new. The Vargas and Nameks from Universe one cheered for the effectiveness that the Dragon Balls, while the two survivor Vargas, with tears in their eyes, tightly hugged their friends' legs out of happiness.  
Vegeta cursed. The Dragon Balls had amazing power, the Vargas regained the technology that was theirs, but they had dared to insult his race by not reviving the fallen Saiyans!  
The sky cleared as suddenly as it had darkened, and a line of light passed over the entire planet, suddenly splitting into seven total lines of light that took different directions. Each line was a Dragon Ball, which was travelling towards an unknown destination, unusable until the next year.  
While the majority of Nameks and Vargas from Universe 1 went up to the ship, the head Varga asked to see the Namek chief, if only to thank him for his kind assistance.  
Two hours later, he came back to say that they were going to stay for a few more hours before leaving; it was time to check the ship's functionality, and to decide the fate of the Saiyans.  
Nail and Cargot heavily weighed this decision, reflecting what they had seen: the limitless aggression in these creatures. Without discussing it for too long, the head of the Nameks made the decision to send them off quickly. But with the dragon balls unusable for a year, Moori asked the Vargas to deal with them. Nail, Cargot, and twenty other fighters were to accompany them to protect them until it was time to drop them off.

They arrived in sight of Planet Vegeta. Its King and Baddack stood in a corner of the control room, watching their planet. The Vargas detected their city and prepared the shuttle. Thirty minutes later, supervised by the 25 Namekian warriors from Universes 1 and 10, Baddack and Vegeta descended the ramp of the shuttle before several Saiyans who welcomed them home, wondering quickly where the others were.  
Nail remarked that their city was nothing more than a ruin, made of buildings that were too small for the Saiyans. Could they be the remnants of a civilization that they exterminated? Nail had no doubt. A sort of palace was constructed, overlooking the city and the plain, or rather, the rocky desert. Nail noticed one last element: that it was almost dusk.  
"Hurry up. If they all transform, we might have some problems," Nail said softly to a Namek from Universe 1.  
The latter nodded and pushed the two Saiyans. He did not intend to stay long; he had but three jobs to do: drop them off, release them, and leave. That was all there was to it. But he failed to account for Vegeta's intervention, once released:  
"I challenge you to a duel!" he cried with a loud voice to his men. "One on one, against one of you!" he said, pointing at Nail and Cargot.  
The latter looked at him incredulously. Was he mocking them? Without answering, the two Nameks turned their heels.  
"Cowards! After leaving my subjects dead, you dare flee when I demand a duel?" King Vegeta shouted angrily.  
Nail and Cargot turned at the same time. They had much to say in response, in order to put him in his place. But, their silence could be even stronger. Vegeta was already discredited in front of his "subjects". And that gave Nail an even better idea: if he could beat him up quickly, his would be even further discredited. This thought is what caused Nail to finally accept such a duel.   
As Nail approached King Vegeta, the latter made a sign to his subjects, who retreated a few meters back. Then the King assumed a fighting stance. Nail did the same, not letting go of his opponent's eyes. If ever the latter began to transform, he would be finished... With his strength, at the maximum, one or two shots would be largely sufficient. Nail waited for his adversary's attack to arrive. The first attack was to come soon. Could it be that the King was trying to buy time? Was he seeking for a way to win?  
He finally attacked, screaming, fist forward. With a simple, effortless movement, Nail dodged, grabbed his arm, and kneed the King's belly, then sent him waltzing several meters away. The King, under the collective astonishment of his subjects, save for Baddack who knew the King was never going to win, found it hard to get up. Already spitting blood, trembling, his legs feeling as if they were going to collapse under him, he stared at Nail with a dark look. He was clearly enraged.  
Once again, the wait for the next attack was long; the two fighters were staring each other down without attacking. Then Nail broke the silence:  
"I've already won; you can't do anything about it. It'd be best if you quit as soon as possible."  
"Don't make me laugh, Namek."  
Shouting again, the bearded king attacked Nail once more, who, in two shots, almost knocked out the King. The technique was fast, and very few of the Saiyans had seen it coming. Now all they saw was their king, the loser, half-conscious, sprawled on the floor, writhing in pain, spitting a bit of blood. Nail regarded him, still with a serious and careful look. The other Nameks turned and boarded the shuttle, when Baddack intervened:   
"Couldn't you heal him before leaving?"  
Nobody answered him. The Saiyan continued:  
"He lost; he won't be our king anymore. He'll even be punished for letting some of us die."  
Baddack spoke in a calm voice. He seemed serious. After a moment's hesitation, Nail agreed. A healer Namek arrived, protected by a warrior. It took him only two minutes, and while Baddack helped Vegeta get back on his feet, the shuttle prepared for takeoff, waiting for Nail and Cargot, the last to board.  
"Wait..." said Baddack once again.  
The two Nameks turned around, hoping that it would finally be the last time. They did not want to stay there... In addition, it began to become seriously dark at that moment. Precisely then, Baddack spoke of it, looking at the sky:  
"Look, it's the full moon."  
Nail and Cargot regarded the sky in turn, and actually saw the full moon. Suddenly, Nail's eyes widened. Why was it that this moon reminded him of the ball of light that King Vegeta created on two occasions to transform? His gaze fell on all the Saiyans, who almost all smiled.  
"As I thought," muttered Nail. "He's going to make himself giant again! If I'm fast enough..."  
But a glance around him made him understand that it was not a magical power, exclusively for the king... but instead, everyone had that ability! It was confirmed when they had all close their eyes...  
"Take off!" cried Nail to the Vargas before turning to Cargot. "We have to beat them before they become that monkey!"  
Together, the two Nameks. In a few punches and knife-hand strikes, they were able to take out several Saiyans. But did they have enough time? There were way too many... fifty? maybe even more? Nail, haven taken flight while the Oozarus in front of him increased in size, saw even more gorillas appearing. Many more... there were hundreds of Oozarus!  
"Nail ! Cargot!"  
A Namek, from the Varga shuttle that was now tens of meters above them, called out to them. It was time to go without a fight. They were done here. Cargot flew immediately to the shuttle, while Nail had to avoid a blow from an Oozaru, who had surprised him with a stream of energy from his open mouth that almost hit the Namek. After the first attack, many others followed, which Nail dodged fairly easily. Suddenly, a blast almost hit the shuttle, but thanks to Cargot, they came out without any damage. As the shuttle took even more altitude, Nail also followed suit, being careful to avoid energy shots from the Oozarus. He knew they would not kill him, but it could certainly hurt.  
When Nail was only ten meters away from the shuttle, which had been speeding up out of the atmostphere, Cargot called out, shouting at Nail to look behind him. An angry Oozaru had managed to jump up to his height! Hands clasped, he tried to strike a fatal blow to Nail. Was it King Vegeta, who insisted on winning again? Or one of his warriors, like Baddack? All Oozarus looked alike... Anyway, it did not matter; he was a Saiyan of some sort, so Nail cared. Reacting quickly, the Namekian warrior parried the attack, although with much difficulty. The Oozaru obviously had nearly the same strength as him. Veritably enraged, Nail rushed towards the transformed Saiyan, even though he was already beginning to fall. The Namek flung a kick into the gorilla's stomach, and fired a burst of energy that exploded in his eye. The Oozaru, screaming in pain, punched several times in the air without hitting the Namek, who above him, released a multitude of energy bursts. The Oozaru was hit by all of them, the explosions causing him to scream in pain and increase his downward velocity and the force of his fall.  
Nail's nervousness subsided once the Oozaru had created a crater on the ground, and he stopped shooting. Recollecting his thoughts quickly, he flew at full speed towards the waiting shuttle. Once he was inside, Cargot shut the door and the pilot Varga made the direct flight to the mothership...

"Maybe we should do something about these Saiyans... If they ever get the ability to travel through space, they could become a threat..." said Cargot when they came down from the shuttle that landed on Namek.  
"I don't think so," said Nail. "We could always use the Dragon Balls to do something, but Freeza seemed to be a greater threat than the Saiyans, and a Kaioshin killed him. If the Saiyans ever become too dangerous, I think he'll do the same."  
Cargot nodded. It was true. In their universe, they had the fortune to have a god who was paying attention to what was going on...  
With the Saiyans on their near-desert planet, a place with too many bloodthirsty inhabitants, the Nameks could live in peace on their planet, without being bothered...  
After the long fight between both Gotenks of universes 16 and 18, victory without confrontation was universe 2's Nekomajin following the abandonment of the universe 10. Two new warriors would be called by the host Varga. Speaking into the microphone, his voice came out of multiple loudspeakers installed throughout the stadium, including the twenty participant's spaces.  
"The next fight is between Xeniloum of universe 19, and Majin Buu of universe 4."

Not surprisingly, Buu flew, arms crossed to arise above the ring, waiting for his opponent. Deciding to do a little more again, the moderator added:  
"Universe 19 has lost one of their fighters earlier, facing a young man from universe 18. Let us all have a thought for Tidar, the first death of this tournament. Without any doubt Xeniloum will avenge the companion by confronting his opponent!"  
"Well, it's time to show them..." Said Xeniloum, activating the combat armor made of composite carbon-based materials.  
Epaulettes appeared as well as a ventral protection just after the formation of a triangle protecting the warrior's heart. Other protections for elbows and knees appeared at the same time. Near the warriors of universe 19, the group of the universe 18 were astonished.  
"What? You didn't all forfeit?" asked Uub surprised, approaching the wall delimiting their territory.  
"Hey you, don't get us started! If you do your evil..." Magsuns began to shout, one of the two blond members of the group.  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for your friend, But I won!" Promptly apologized the young man while thinking: 'He still cut my arm, mind you...'  
The space fighter from universe 19 calmed down and straightened. After a light white of a few seconds where the two men stared, Uub, who didn't wish they'd lose another one of their own, replied:  
"But you should. Didn't you see the power of others? Your armors are cool and all, but it won't be enough for..."  
"Our armor? You don't understand! You have not seen our real equipment, in fact!..." Magsuns exclaimed, glancing behind him to his three other friends who listened.  
"Didn't you see that we changed our armours? Added largest of the combatants.  
Uub and his friends noticed most of them changed their armor at the moment. The largest had swapped his impressive armor with something much simpler and also seemed less impressive and effective. The second detail Uub noticed that every fighter of space 19 had exactly the same type of armor: Without any customization, they all looked the same. Armor manufactured in series? Unthinkable... On the contrary, fabricating the same type of armor based on the same technology is devastating...  
"We didn't think we'd need our war armor for a mere tournament..." Simply added the guy to the right of the largest before the latter continues its momentum:  
"But when it turned out that the level is much higher than that of the Frost Demons, we asked permission to use our 'Ultra' equipment. The Varga had sent a message to the hierarchy."  
"What are Frost Demons?" Son Goku asked softly to Piccolo beside him.  
"Freeza, Coola and King Cold..." Vegeta said before them. "The last representatives of the species of the Frost Demons."  
"Ah well, do they have this name there then? Not very impressive…"  
"In any case, we understand their lousy names!" added Trunks, looking at Goten.  
"And yours, you've got it?" Vegeta retorted, which was again exasperated by the attitude of his son.  
No doubt that the Trunks of universe of 12 should have been his "real" son...  
"How do you know they were the last?" Gohan asked, returning to the main topic.  
"There are stories that were told..." Vegeta replied, beginning to feel tired of these explanations. "I remember there was a book somewhere that talked about the people... It was called Hanasia, I think..."  
The warriors of the universe 19, also tired of having another history lesson, took their explanations about their armor they loved:  
"The geezers are always slow to decide," The great warrior continued without worrying about a small discussion which could now take place at the same time he spoke. "But now it's good. We'll really be able to fight.  
Gohan decided to intervene to turn this topic:  
"I'm happy for you, but you must have noticed that most people here are stronger than Freeza..."  
This time, it was the third guy of the group of space 19 who decided to intervene:  
"Strength is nothing. This Broly that scares you so much? With this armor, I would have destroyed him in one strike.  
"Didn't you see that he was invincible? That nothing can hurt him at all?" Gohan replied, amazed at the great confidence that these men placed their equipment at.  
"Yes, but it is useless against our-"  
"Enough, Naurb," curtly cut in his friend. "Don't reveal our weapons. Watch Xeniloum fight instead."  
Xeniloum had indeed jumped on to reach Buu, who had been patiently waiting in the ring for two minutes already... However, the struggle had obviously not started yet. Viewers began to get impatient. Xeniloum stood waiting for his opponent to pay attention to him... When he was tired of the Demon not being interested in anything other than himself, he tried to call:  
"Hey! Uh... Buu! Are you ready?" asked Xeniloum.  
"Sorry..." said the latter, noticing the space fighter at last. I was listening to the passionate discussion below... But you can attack, you know, the fight began." The pink Demon finally said with a smile.  
Xeniloum sighed, stretched out his left arm, his index finger pointing at Buu. He wasn't going to be deprived of an attack now. If Buu didn't want to get serious, it would only get worse for him.  
A light appeared at the end of his finger. Xeniloum seemed to quickly draw a backwards "Z", a design that was now found on the pink Demon's body, divided into four major parts throughout the torso. The invisible laser continued its way to pierce the shield energy stadium bleachers and continuing through one of the pillars which stood above the crowd.  
"Yeah..." Buu said, while regenerating his body.  
"It's just as I thought..." Xeniloum said. "You have the same powers as the other Buu!"  
In the control center, the Vargas, were in a bit of a panic. A few calculations and especially comments fused here and there.  
"He cut through a spike!" cried one of the controller Varga.  
"One hundred percent of the energy through passed through the shield!" informed a second.  
"If he shoots again into people,they will be cut and killed!" said the first. "Does their technology surpass ours?"  
A Namek intervened in the room to answer this question:  
"I think I can say yes. When we found them, we discovered a very advanced people, in all areas... It was very impressive..."  
Many Vargas were surprised. They believed they were the most advanced among all the universes... They watched the battle from a new perspective.  
Xeniloum maintained his calm despite the failure of his first weapon, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.  
"And that?" He said again, holding the left arm to Buu.  
Using his right arm, he activated a small mechanism that conjured a ball of light which flickered, and proceeded to Buu rather slowly. It was a weapon that was easy to avoid and one which had as much recoil as a large rifle. Once he attacked, Xeniloum took advantage of the recoil, and jumped back far away from the ring, while Buu was amused:  
"You're such a cute one! What's your little name?" He mocked, smiling and pointing his right index finger to the ball of energy approaching inexorably to the touch...  
The ball of energy explode violently. The blast touched Xeniloum, however, he managed to control his levitation, demonstrating a complete mastery over his armor.  
The smoke cleared on the ring, revealing that the upper third of the Demons body had disappeared, disintegrated, due to the explosion.  
Once again, the Vargas tried some technological comparisons. The Piccolo of universe 16 and 18, however, preferred to keep their thoughts to themselves:  
"An expert can see that this attack is highly concentrated. A Super Saiyan 2 wouldn't survive... These warriors don't lie this armor is much more powerful! With this exoskeleton, even that idiot Satan could defeat Cell!"  
"It's called 'Farewell Buu,'" said Xeniloum, turning to his opponent as if he was present on the ring. "I'm sorry I completely destroyed you and killed you... But it seems to me that there was no alternative."  
As he was already heading to his area, something called out: Just above the ring, something was forming. First vaporous, it began to take shape, and a pinkish color. From the head and took the body of Buu. Not yet complete, he said:  
"You've convinced me. Your armor is cool. Give it to me!" He commanded, snapping his fingers to come to him the armor of his opponent, still surprised that the second attack had failed.  
But nothing happened.  
"Huh? This is the first time that my technique doesn't work!"  
Buu was more than surprised this time. That an adversary astonished him thanks to an original technology, but that one of his techniques didn't work… That was really new!  
"Ah, I see!" Xeniloum said, smiling, though a bit worried. You wanted me to take it off of me with your powers! Our systems are protected against telekinesis, sorry..."  
"In this case...!" replied the universe 4 Buu, then pouncing on his opponent.  
Reacting by clenching his teeth, Xeniloum retreated at full speed while firing several bursts of energy from the device from his left arm. But these normally fatal shots for mere mortals, pierced Buu and did no harm whatsoever. He regenerated almost instantly.  
Now within two meters of Xeniloum, Buu suddenly changed shape, becoming a sort of large area coverage, which was twice the size of the warrior, while half as wide.  
"He's going to absorb him!" shouted Gohan.  
"Is that allowed?" Goten asked confused, a little less troubled than his brother.  
Buu completely engulfed his opponent. Rather quickly, he regained his normal shape. But his skin at the small of his back seemed to tear, and the head of Xeniloum, conscious and sweating, emerged. With is right fist, he tore the skin of the pink Demon and began to finally be released unharmed outside of Buu's body, left wearing nothing but his underpants! His armor was gone.  
Initially, Xeniloum friends thought he had managed to get himself out, by using his strength and armor to help. But if he somehow came out half naked, there was only one explanation: Buu had accomplished his goal, and Xeniloum had just been released on purpose.  
Xeniloum began to fall, when he touched his forehead, checking himself, he realized absolutely all his equipment had disappeared, swallowed by his opponent who was not too slow stand in front of him to taunt him a bit:  
"I'm keeping the armor ... I will study it peacefully."  
Quickly, he flung a heavy kick to the face of the warrior, now without the protection his armor provided, Xeniloum fell heavily on the ground that cracked under his weight. Xeniloum's friend Naurb, ran towards him, frightened, while the facilitator Varga began to count. Buu began to enter his space.  
"Thirty seconds unconscious..." The Varga finally counted, allowing at the same time, Naurb to carry his friend to return him to their space. "Winner: Buu from universe 4!"  
Two Nameks joined Naurb and Xeniloum to offer their support and care. In the space 19, the warriors were suddenly panicked.  
"Damn! The moment we use the Ultra, we get it stolen! We must get it back!" cried the largest.  
"Stay calm!" Eleim intervened, with a hairstyle resembling that of Vegeta, but in fair-haired manner as though he were a Super Saiyan. "Only Xeniloum's ceberal waves can make his armor work... This Buu won't be able to do anything with it..."  
"It better..." replied the large warrior. "Because Buu has just acquired you-know-what... He is now extremely dangerous!"  
Buu had just posted a foot at his space, and had heard what one had just said about him.  
"Only now? You're funny..." He said gently, both amused and a little upset that he has not been taken for someone dangerous long before.  
'Don't they know that among all those which I've absorbed, there are very intelligent beings?' He thought. 'Whatever defences this armour has, I'll figure out how to use it...'  
In the space 18, Vegeta didn't seek to avoid demeaning an entire universe. If they could all surrender to accelerate the tournament, it suited:  
"Ha Indeed, with this armor, it changes everything! What a victory!"  
'They are much more powerful than you can imagine. They weren't lucky to face Buu, that's all...' thought Piccolo, not wanting to openly contradict Vegeta.  
" Their armors are not to be taken lightly... Goku said he had no problem contradicting his rival. "Because us... We can't regenerate."  
Vegeta answered nothing. He definitely knew, also, that such weapon could in reality be lethal. But it wasn't a problem.  
Taking a little example of his father for once, Trunks, with Goten obviously, approached the space 19. They made pretence of speaking between them, but rather extremely to put on a bit of a spectacle. They made exaggerated pouts, and badly imitated the arrogance of Naurb:  
"Phooey! These were not our true armours of war!"  
"Yes!" Goten added. We will put on our 'Giga-Ultra' armor! With them, we'd destroy Buu in one strike!  
"I'm going to kill them!" Magsuns shouted before being restrained by his compatriot.  
Vegeta diverted his glance from universe 19, which didn't interest him. He wanted his next turn, against his alternate son, Trunks.  
"When will this round even be finished? I would like to get to my next fight." said Vegeta, arms crossed, waiting for the announcement of the next fight while the ring was reformed once again.  
"It's far from finished, Vegeta." Gohan replied, avoiding taking him for an idiot by naming him the number of remaining battles to finish the first turn, then those of the second before his battle.  
"That's too long! It feels like it's been two years since I've been standing here..."  
Suddenly, a Varga Facilitator announced combat that would unfold, a fight that Son Goku and a few others would follow closely...  
"Next fight, please enter the ring... Tenshinhan of the universe 9 and Sun Wukong of the universe 2!"  
Sun Wukong decided to make an appearance following the announcement of the fight. From the entry of space 2, he jumped into several somersaults, and curled up on himself, before landing on his legs, turning his back to the ring and most of the audience. He turned his head to his left and announced with a smile:  
"At last, the greatest hero of them all gets to fight."  
This approach was the same as the dwarf of the universe 9, Kulilin, made some time earlier, apart from the jump anyway. At that moment, everyone discovered that it was Sun Wukong.  
The first thing that could be said, was that he looked like a monkey. Not much taller than Kulilin himself, however, He wore less exotic clothes. His face was of a teenager, like other parts of the body such as the arms or legs, were surrounded by brown and sometimes red hair. His rather blond hair were drawn back in spades. Two ornaments, such as two antennae attached to his hair, fell behind to the bottom of his back. His blue eyes were filled with malice and could testify to his vitality, his excitement.  
In some dozens metres on the right, in the space 9, Tenshinhan also got ready. He warmed up his arms and shoulders, before cracking his fingers, looking towards his opponent.   
"You think can beat him?" asked Yamcha.  
"I don't know. I'm finding it difficult to sense his strength."  
"He doesn't look fierce in any case." remarked Kulilin.  
"I'll pay attention. I'll be judging his skill from the beginning."  
The others said nothing furthermore. Tenshinhan, for a long time, was a very experienced combatant. He seldom underestimated his opponents. Contrary to others, he was going to enter the ring keeping his seriousness, calmness, and all his senses on high alert. Tenshinhan finally flew off toward the ring to wait for his enemy there.  
The latter gestured again, more for show than actually warming up. But before meeting with Tien, he made appear close to him a small yellow cloud that made a small noise, remaining at one meter above the ground. Jumping on it, the cloud the weight of the monkey without turning a hair. Patting the cloud as though it were an animal whom he comforted, he drove at a headlong pace, leaving a light yellow trail behind him, to fly about ten metres above the ring.  
"But, it is Kinto-Un!" Kulilin said astonished.  
"How did this guy obtained such a thing?" wondered Yamcha.  
"I don't know, but it doesn't tell me anything good if you want my opinion."  
In space 18, Son Goku and his two sons were also surprised to see the very same cloud that was used so many times by Goku when he was in his youth. After him, it was his son who had used it, in particular to go to university, and after him, Uub used it, then Pan.  
"Our universes must be closer than we think." Piccolo said.  
"Yes." Gohan acquiesced. "Arale first, then the cat who wears a familiar tunic, and now the cloud..."  
"Maybe we should go for more information?" proposed Videl, who had been standing next to her husband.  
"It is useless, it's a waste of time." intervened Vegeta, only to grumble.  
"I wonder if he's part of Grandpa's family." Goku said thoughtfully. He has almost the same name as us, he specified by looking at his two sons, then at his granddaughter. "But his head is far from resembling us. He doesn't resemble Grandpa Gohan either…"  
"Perhaps an ancestor of the Saiyans?" Goten wondered.  
"It doesn't explain his presence here though." his brother pointed out. "Nor why it has a name so close to ours..."  
"If it is an ancestor, is he already a Super Saiyan? With his yellow hair on his head, one can wonder" added Trunks.  
"You ask too many questions..." Vegeta said, exasperated. "Just watch the match..."  
The fight still hadn't started. Sun Wukong remained at reasonable distance above the ring, looking at his opponent. He was extremely strong. An arm hidden under a cloak, a shaved head, and a third eye on the forehead made him a little more impressive despite some old age marks that appeared. Sun Wukong mumbled internally. His opponent was much like the monk that he had followed at the time, during a voyage to the West... This irritated him at the same time as this made him so nostalgic. But no matter: He was there to fight and win, no matter the opponent!  
Tenshinhan had benefitted from this rather long moment where Wukong remained in the air, thinking of the best, and to find a first strategy of combat. To measure it, he had several techniques, such as destroying the cloud which could obstruct the figh, he had at least two of them. And to frighten to him, was timing. A timing that Sun Wukong himself gave him.  
"Well then! Are you too afraid to attack me?"  
Tien frowned before responding:  
"You have to touch the ring for the fight to begin."  
"Oh. In that case..."  
With one hand he brought to his ear, he took out a small stick, a cylindrical device that looked like a toothpick. Initially making it whirl in his hand for a few seconds while smiling, the monkey suddenly made it become as tall as a staff. More than this, it augmented its length to touch the ring for one second. Tien heard a particular 'toc' and looked a little better at this stick that would find its actual size, or in any case, for the confrontation to the body.  
It was a red staff without any tip at the ends. A staff which some people have already known:  
"But it is..." Yamcha began, amazed.  
"Interesting After Kinto-Un, he also has the staff." "Kulilin finished, smiling as he said it.  
Furthermore, Pan was also surprised, and she checked instantly if his stick, was the same as she inherited from her grandfather,the one that was being held on her back: Yes, it was the case.  
"It's Nyoi-Boi!" said Goku. "This then..."  
"If I understand correctly," Began Goten to Trunks. "This guycould be the first owner of the staff, and he could have passed it on over the generations until my great-grandfather got it before leaving it with my father..."  
"Hmm.. It will be necessary to investigate." answered his friend, equally perplexed.  
On the ring, the fight had still not really begun. Tien was still waiting for the right time. Sun Wukong, impatient, then called to him:  
"The fight can now begin... Hey!"

Without warning, Tien attacked. Quickly, he placed his hands in the shape of a triangle which he had raised above his head to aim at his adversary and launch a Kikoho, one of his most devastating techniques. It was the best opportunity to use it. It allowed him to check the level of Sun Wukong, who looked rather good, because he had managed to avoid the blast by jumping off the coast of his cloud. Besides the Kinto-Un was completely disintegrated.  
"Good reflexes..."  
Wukong, who was still in the air, clenched his teeth looking at Tien who attacked him by surprise. He pointed the finger in his direction, or almost. In fact, Wukong quickly understood he wanted to look behind him.  
Mysteriously confident, knowing he was sheltered from an attack from behind, he looked and behind him saw a planet, or rather the decor which was crossed behind to him at the time of the attack. The planet was missing a large chunk, at least a quarter. Wukong was so surprised that he thought his eyes were going to jump out of their Sockets. The technique of Tien, to frighten his opponent had instead worked well, even if the latter quickly resumed his spirits.  
"It destroyed a planet!" Trunks exclaimed, astonished.  
"No, imbecile… They are only gas decorations in the sky." Vegeta recitified. Even if it were true a planet, there would be nothing impressive about it, even for the tall bald guy.  
"Yes, it's good I know..." declared the son of Vegeta, before turning to Goten:  
"Hey, you've see that." said Trunks and Goten from spaces 16 and 18. "It looks like the trick of the old electronic game there... Do you remember?"  
"Ah yes! Pac Boy! Too much fun!"  
"Anything..." Uub gently said, standing next to Pan.  
"Yeah... Too fan of video games..." added the latter watching her uncle and his friend, who were only kidding.  
On the ring, Wukong quickly activated. Grasping his stick, he again made it grow, but also to expand to crush Tien against the ring. The stick became large enough to almost make the diameter of the small planet, and fell there where was Tien, become an Ant in the shadow of the giant stick. This time, it was not a simple 'toc' when the Nyoi-Bo touched the surface, but rather a 'boom'. Landing gracefully on the top of his enormous stick, Sun Wukong, hands on the hips and with a superior air, commented:  
"My Nyoi-Bo takes whatever size I want! It's so heavy that I am the only one to be able to use it! My strength exceeds all that..."  
The stick vibrated under his feet, before rising gradually. Posing one knee, Sun Wukong walked on all fours toward the edge of the stick to watch below. He saw nothing, as Tien was down and bore the stick with one hand, in equilibrium.  
"It is heavy indeed..." He said.  
Tien could not precisely guess the weight of this weapon. Probably several dozen tonnes... A weight he could easily lift without getting tired and he could even throw it away... But finish the fight by swinging his opponent far enough so that he could no longer be seen for thirty seconds, this was not in the vision of a good fair fight Tenshinhan thought. Also preferred fairly gently lay the stick on the floor of the ring. Wukong falls again, losing his balance but manages to keep his cool and maintain his weapon vertical. At the bottom, Tien laid a foot on the ground.  
"This stick is not quite as Nyoi Boi we know" Goku noted to his friends.  
"How's that?" asked his granddaughter.  
Son Goku looked at Pan so he could explain:  
"Your Nyoi-Bo can grow and resume its normal size. But if I saw the movements of the Sun Wukong, I'd say it's that grow and shrink the stick... For more, his grows also in width."  
In the space 9, Yamcha had made almost the same exact remark in Kulilin, by adding as Goku at the same time as it:  
"It also said that it was heavy... However, the Nyoi Boi has a normal weight for a stick..."  
"Therefore this stick is different from ours and its capacity also?" wanted to confirm Gohan of space 16 before before having an affirmed answer from his father Vegetto, who had also noticed this difference.  
"As the Vargas said... One can notice similarities, but it's necessarily different..."  
"This Sun Wukong must be a powerful opponent." replied Kulilin from universe 9. "And I recognize Tien, who prefers to fight and lose rather than win in a way that he would be accused of being a coward..."  
Tenshinhan knew indeed that its adversary was not banal. He had good reflexes, a non standard physical force in comparison with the basic human beings, and impressive capacities, whom Sun Wukong was going to show him.  
Tearing a dozen hairs of his arm, he blew on it to let them fly before him and toward Tien. Very quickly, the hairs thickened and took shape. A head appeared, then arms, then the silhouette is specified, taking the features of Sun Wukong. Finally the legs appeared. There was now twelve more opponents Tien would have to face.

But the latter took no fear. Crossing the arms before him, he prepared a technique he had improved over the years. After a rapid concentration of his Ki, Tien uncrossed his arms. After a blur effect, double, there were good appearance of an another warrior with three eyes. They were two and already restarted. This time, there were four.  
Goku had known Tenshinhan at this level. Many years before, while he was still teenager, he had employed this technique against him. But it included a weakness of size: everybody had only the quarter of force and speed of the user. This time, it was perhaps worse and Goku was surprised: Tenshinhan didn't stop in four bodies. Soon, there were eight who waited for the army of the twelve monkeys. Eight Tenshinhan which tightened the finger, towards eight Sun Wukong, and who of the same voice cried:  
"Super Dodompa!"  
The eight copies energy rang out and flew high above the majority of monkeys. The other four came fiercely. While Sun Wukong hoped to gain the advantage by number, he found himself outnumbered now: two against one... Tien had no trouble controlling them, striking them one by one, with all his strength to bring them down unconscious, at the same time, showing his skill in hand to hand combat, despite his forces in eight bodies.  
The eight other Sun Wukong affected by the Super Dodompa returned to the load, a little shaken but not really injured so far: the monkey was strong and resistant, no doubt about it, especially as his clones had exactly the same power as the original. The latter joined its copies. They were nine against eight.  
The fight raged over the entire surface of the ring for two or three minutes, the shots rained down on each side. Blocks and parries alternated every second. The fight, Tien, once again, came out victorious. He managed to put ashore all doubles. This being done, six of his bodies disappeared.  
Sun Wukong was slightly frightened, but he had a lot of techniques yet to be used. He was far from having given everything in this battle, and Tenshinhan knew it...  
"What is he doing?" wondered Kulilin. "He could completely K.O. him before he gets up..."  
"He wants a challenge, as usual." The Scar-Faced Bandit replied.  
Sun Wukong recovered standing, his clones quickly did the same. Quickly, the thirteen monkeys took place around Tien. The real took the floor:  
"Ha! Your clones disappeared! Me, I can prolong them forever! Now, you are conquered! Nobody can beat me! I am Sun Wukong! I crossed the most powerful of waterfalls, I became the big King of monkeys!"  
While he spoke, his body seemed to expand a bit. First not exceeding a fifty meters, he measured well two meters currently. He continued his retort:  
"I have seventy-two powers, I met the King of the Dragons in the Great Ocean of the West, I became immortal by clearing my name from the register of the dead in the King of the dead. I conquered the army of Emperor Jade, master of the sky! I held head to Buddha himself!"  
Wukong was now the size of five men. It was one of his powers: grow up. His clones, they came in a few seconds all around Tien. Another one of his abilities was to transform into animal.  
Tien was found surrounded by number of Wildcats: two Tigers, a Panther, a grizzly bear, a huge serpent that could easily swallow a man, a disproportionately large Eagle who flew a few metres above the ring, ready to load rhinoceros, same as two elephants with large tusks. The other four clones of Wukong remained as monkeys.  
"Do you still want to face me?" asked the giant Sun Wukong, who could better bear his name from Grand King monkey.  
"You're awesome" answered Tenshinhan. "Well right. I confess that your faculties and your history sound exciting. But you're also proud, too sure of yourself. Approach me, I'm waiting for you."  
He assumed his position of battle, getting ready to elude the wild animals, and to counter-attack immediately. Sun Wukong appeared to hesitate one instant but succumbed very quickly to the desire to fight and to win. Without thinking, his wild animals and his clones threw themselves at his opponent.  
Endowed with outstanding reflexes, helped by the third eye in the middle of the forehead, the warrior of the universe 9 eluded the first attacks of the quickest wild animals. He got closer to the grizzly which tried to chafe it with its huge legs. Tenshinhan bent down on time to avoid blow, and had to move away before hitting, the giant Sun Wukong himself, having broken of the palm which crashed on the ring. But it did not stop there, surprising the man with the three eyes: taking support on the palm, the always agile Wukong managed to hit his foot. Tien backed up several metres under the impact, but he suffered quite easily the shot.  
The Eagle attacked from behind, leaving no reprieve to the warrior who escape by jumping over the side, leaving the bird hitting the ring with its talons before resuming the altitude. Once again, two Wildcats threw themselves upon him. He cleared the first and hit the second one which was planned far enough. On the other hand, this allowed the giant serpent to move closer and tie up Tien's entire body. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, Wukong and his clones embarked upon him all at the same time.  
Clenching teeth and fists, Tenshinhan didn't accept defeat. Howling, he forced the his arms and managed to tear the body of the snake which disappeared hardly by touching the soil. Liberated, he hit with all of his might, both of the tigers who threw themselves on him, claws out. He spread them all out at once. In the same way as the serpent, the two cat-like ones disappeared... The third, the panther, arrived from behind but Tenshinhan managed to grab it in time, then spinning on himself, returned it on the grizzly which, by reflex, gave a violent swipe up and down, tearing the panther which in turn disappeared. The man of the universe 9 tore along on the bear and threw a punch in the belly. Even before it falls, the Monkey King was going to crush him of his foot. Tightening the arm above his head, he countered blow. Using the element of surprise, he pushed of the arm the foot of his opponent, and directed it towards the other for they flank a kick behind the heel: unbalanced, Sun Wukong fell.  
The Eagle again attempted to attack the bald warrior, but failed like the others. Taking a fierce uppercut, the bird flew long to the stars before disappearing. There were only three more animals left, which allowed viewers to see the superhuman strength of Tien. While the Rhino transferred all his power and all his weight, Tien escaped at the last moment and grabbed it immediately, encircling it with the arm developed muscles at the level of the belly of the animal, stopping it dead. Then he raised it and seemed to fall behind while keeping his feet definitely on the soil. The head of the animal smashed onto the ring. They called this a suplex, a technique often utilized in sports of conflict.

While the large Wukong was, but the four cubs were not moving, Tien dashed toward the first elephant, him grabbing his defences, lifting it, swirling with him before the release so that it falls on the other pachyderm. The great Wukong reduced, surrounded by his four clones.  
"If force doesn't work... Then look!"  
He put a knee on the ground and his clones attacked, being found quickly above the head of Tenshinhan, which prepared, by crossing his arms, to avoid the blows. But the original, which had the knee on the ground posed his hands on the ring, which reduced immediately until having the size of a small ball. Tenshinhan, surprised, attacked the four clones, dropping to the ground, on the ground all the way to the bottom. Wukong took already an air of winner before Tenshinhan jumped up.  
"You lost! You have touched the ground! Ring out! Ha ha!"  
"Bah... There are no of ring outs..." Tien said gently, slowly getting back up. Wukong stopped laughing, looked around, hoping for the announcement of his victory. It never came. Reforming the ring to its original size, the four clones attacked again while the original took over his stick.  
Tien smiled, and joined his hands before shouting:  
"Haikyuken!"  
His face had changed: he looked... Strange? A small very comic side replaced his usual serious air: his eyes blinking, his eyebrows raised, his broad smile. Tien use of this technique was more strange than effective, more shameful for those who took it as dangerous. It was the technique of volleyball. Tien played for a few seconds with the bodies of Wukong's clones, mistaking them to be balloons, moving quickly to hit each body before they touched the ground. Then to finish, he flew to hit them harder. He wasn't hit only once, while the clones valdinguaient anywhere. Once the feet were on the ring, Tien ran to go around and join the true Sun Wukong, who was waiting with his staff, causing it to spin and... Striking in the wind to the bald warrior. A terrible gust of wind occurred, and it even turned into tornado! But Tenshinhan was such a rock: unwavering and unstoppable. Slowing down, he continued forward and struck Wukong in the face. He fell on the ring and the tornado ceased.  
The Monkey King wasn't moving any more. Tenshinhan took back his breathing while the referee counted… Up to thirty.  
"Tien of the universe 9 is declared the winner of this fight!"  
This announcement stirred the King of monkeys, who got up quickly:  
"Not at all! I... Just thought!"  
Tenshinhan, turning his back to prepare to leave the ring, turned to Sun:  
"Don't seek to circumvent the rules... You would regret it" He finally said, a white aura surrounding him, his serious look frightening the Monkey King almost completely.  
Tien had a great sense of combat, of honor. If Wukong treated him with disdain there, this would please him in no way.  
"Brrr, it looks like Buddha! It is creepy!" said Wukong gently, returning to his universe 2 balcony after being mounted on his magical cloud that had mysteriously reappeared.  
Tenshinhan, the victor, went back into his space, satisfied.  
"He had fun finally." said Yamcha.  
Kulilin nodded, before congratulating his old friend who had just returned. While Tenshinhan was squeezing the hand of Yamcha jokingly on the defeat of the latter, Son Goku commented on the fight that had taken place:  
"Sacred Tenshinhan! This reminds me of our battles! His techniques improved!"  
"Keuf! Anyone can see the failure of his technique of eight bodies!" said Vegeta, arms crossed.  
"You've noted yourself also? I believe that he knew what he was doing. He had to assess the level of his opponent, and find that even with his power divided by eight, each of his bodies could have the advantage. He attacked quickly and was accurate... It was well played. I would have liked our Tien to see it!"  
“Next match, Zangya from universe 6 against Son Bra from universe 16!” suddenly announced the Varga.  
“This fight, I’m looking forward to seeing!” Goku said to Vegeta, glancing over to the space of Universe 16.  
Bra was indeed the biggest mystery of this universe – they knew less about her than about Vegetto. Finally, she would display her power in a fight, something they were all eagerly anticipating.   
“Zangya… Bojack’s girlfriend!!” exclaimed Bra, looking across the stadium at her new opponent. She would be able to spend her fury on this one.  
“'Son' Bra? Pff.” Trunks made a sour face behind her back.  
“Ha ha, she asked to change her name on registration!” laughed Goten. “I’m also her brother, don’t forget!”  
“You’re gonna suffer!” muttered Bra eagerly, raising her fists.  
Her father, seeing that she was about to explode, felt he had to do something. They couldn’t risk the same thing happening here as had happened in space. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he addressed her quietly. “Bra, wait.” He turned to the Varga present with them. “We need two minutes.”  
It was not a request – it was more of an order. The little bird knew that Vegetto would not take ‘no’ for an answer. It bothered him, because they normally eliminated anyone who did not show up immediately after the announcement. And the tall warrior didn’t seem to wait for a reply – he merely announced his intentions. The Varga looked up at Vegetto – the Saiyan was almost twice his size. Bra’s fists were still clenched, but waited obediently, wondering what her father could possibly want.  
Taking a break before a battle – it wasn’t exactly part of the rules. But the Varga thought twice before telling this to Vegetto; he was the warrior who had fought and defeated the terrible lunatic Broly! Maybe they owed him this much. Anyway, even if they exceeded the normal time for disqualification, it wouldn’t hurt anything…  
“Er…ok,” he replied timidly, not waiting to consult his superiors.  
Vegetto smiled at the Varga generously, then walked with Bra to the inside of their space. “Let’s get privacy.”  
They walked a few meters, stopping at the first door on the left. Vegetto opened it. “Come in and sit down.”  
The apartments really did provide comfort appropriate for everyone. Vegetto and his daughter stopped to appreciate it.  
This room, well lit and bright with white walls, was simple and tidy. It looked oddly like a small apartment on Earth. A bed was placed against one corner, and a small table with two chairs was in the middle. Beside the door was a bookcase full of hardback books. No one had yet ventured to look at their contents – were they printed in the humans’ language or in that of the Vargas? No one would know, at least for now. The other side of the door had a small dresser; opposite, a door led to another identical room with a dresser and a bookcase on either side.  
Vegetto sat down. Bra balked, but finally sat across from him. Her father folded his arms and looked at her.  
“I forbid you to hurt this Zangya. And to kill her. You’re going to crush her in one strike, without unnecessary violence.”  
“What!?” she cried, leaping to her feet and smashing both her fists against the table. Why had her father proposed such a thing? Finally, she had a chance to vent her frustration! Frantically, she explained: “But she’s Bojack’s girlfriend! It’s the perfect occasion to make him feel what he has done to us! We can play by the rules, and there will be nothing the bastard can do! This game has been decided perfectly for us to—”  
“To train your resistance to anger,” said her father sharply. There was defiance in Bra’s eyes – she paused. Her anger was legitimate! This sort of thing was not new. For years, they had been in life-or-death space missions and Vegetto had not hesitated to give his students handicaps and orders to make each task more challenging. Usually, it was entertaining…but when he tried to tame her oh-so-well-rehearsed control, it was torture. The worst thing was that they could not disobey the orders of Vegetto – to do so would be contrary to the laws of physics.  
“You got carried away once again, in space,” Vegetto said quietly before Bra could speak again. She started to shout.  
“Yeah, I saved your life!” She would have said more, but Vegetto cut her off again without addressing her argument.  
“And I thank you for that. You were awesome up there. You and Gohan managed very well. But, to be honest, your method was not very effective. You focused on the fight with Buu, but Gohan focused only on the pieces of him that were assaulting Broly. Stopping the absorption was our priority, not outright fighting. You could have allowed your abilities to be more effective if you had stayed at the lower level. Clearly, Buu was toying with us. He is a formidable opponent, much more powerful than any I’ve destroyed up until now.”  
“Ah, yes, question my methods. You’re one to talk, Mister I-hit-like-a-madman-on-the-only-opponent-who-can’t-be-hurt.”  
“I amused myself under controlled conditions. But this was a battle where the survival of the whole universe was at stake. Can you imagine what would happen if Buu added invincibility and infinite power to his already-immortal state?”  
“The conditions were controlled, you say? Ridiculous. You’re stretching the truth there.”  
Vegetto sighed. “Some other participants have more resources than you could imagine. They could have easily taken over. But that is not the point – the issue is that you hurt your brother and you very nearly killed me. What happened in space is still the proof of your greatest weakness.” He stood up, pulling his chair back under the table and held out his hand, inviting his daughter to follow him.  
“You can’t use your full power without destroying everything around you. You need to control yourself.”  
Bra stood up in turn and followed her father, who continued his monologue:  
“Do your best. Or else, I’ll unsubscribe you from the tournament.”  
Bra’s eyes widened and she started to swear, but Vegetto cut her off. “Repress your anger, it’s an order.”  
Those last words silenced Bra. She restrained her anger and followed her father through he corridor. Dropping his hand when they went out, she looked out again at space 6. Zangya was still in full discussion with Bojack:  
“I said I was giving up!” she said, hands on her hips.  
“Yet, you aren’t,” Bojack ordered. “There are no cowards in Bojack Gang. None that are still alive, anyway.” His gaze was cold: His orders, his threats – he carried them out. He had killed several members of the gang himself; Zangya had no choice.  
She knew that even if she lost or died in the tournament, he would forgive…but if she disobeyed, he would kill her, both now and again after the organizers had revived everyone at the end of the tournament.  
Bojack rarely gave orders. He just said when and where they would attack. Methods, details – he didn’t care. Bojack didn’t care much about anything. But he did hate the cowardly and weak, preferring the reckless brawlers. If Bojack had not been the strongest being in the galaxy, he would have been dead ten times over from his recklessness. Zangya, who was naturally calculating and reasoned, found it increasingly difficult to cope with the wild orders of her master. But now that their group was shrinking, she had no opportunity to leave unnoticed.  
She flew furiously, her long red hair flying in the wind, and landed on the ring.  
“Well, at least I’m here against a kid…”  
Bra flew in turn, already surrounded by an aura. Her eyes were hardened, her teeth clenched. She landed just in front of her opponent.

“Let’s do it.”  
“Hey! I thought you’d run away!” said Zangya, thinking to destabilize her opponent with a few sharp words. “Ready to finish like your little friend?” she said, smiling.  
The desired effect was reached – Bra had been destabilized. Her thoughts turned to Pan, and immediately her anger surged, filling her with energy. She transformed into a Super Saiyan instantly.  
“Uh oh, bad start,” commented Vegetto, who hadn’t moved an inch. He would not interfere. If she did not take control, she would only disqualify herself…too bad for her.  
“Shabby…piece…of…shit…you worthless trash…” breathed Bra, the ring beginning to crack and fall apart under her power. Zangya stepped back. The look on Bra’s face froze her blood, terrifying her. This was far worse than Bojack’s fury. She felt Bra’s strength skyrocketing until the girl uttered a piercing scream, stretching her arms straight up. Her energy erupted at once, her aura blasting out into a beam which rose into the sky and pierced straight down through the ring into the floor.  
“Incredible? Is she stronger than us, too?” wondered Goku.  
Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan beside them were also surprised. The energy of Bra’s Super Saiyan transformation was greater than theirs had ever been at the first level. How long could she maintain this kind of power? Was it just a temporary spike when she first transformed – the result of anger that would only last a few seconds?   
Surrounded by the aura and shaking with anger, Bra glared at the terrified Zangya, then pulled back her right fist, preparing to attack. As Son Goku had done at the beginning of the tournament, and as Universe 13 Kakarotto had done against Kat, she merely struck the air in front of her with a kiai toward her enemy. The blow rushed with terrible force, smashing Zangya against the shield that protected the public. The shield held – the body of the red-haired warrior was not so strong.  
She fell heavily to the ground in the middle of space 17. The Cell Junior knelt beside her to see whether she was still alive, along with a Namek and a Varga who were nearby. Nobody understood what had really killed Zangya – was it Bra’s blow, or the impact with the energy shield?  
Bra paused for a moment with her fist still stretched forward, then began to catch her breath. Her energy subsided, no longer shaking the ring. Below, the Namek reached down to feel the redhead’s neck.  
“12 seconds…” said the Varga, stopwatch in hand.  
“No need to count, she’s dead,” stated the Namek simply.  
Bra unclenched her fists and her hair regained its natural color. Vegetto appeared beside her instantly as the Namek carried Zangya’s body toward space 6.  
“I did what I could,” said the girl, her head bowed before her father.  
“I know,” he replied simply. “I know you didn’t want to kill her.” Bra felt a little comforted by these words, but was saddened to have failed.  
“You’ve passed. You did control yourself,” declared Vegetto. Bra raised her head and looked at her father. A rush of emotion came over here. She was tremendously angry with herself for failing to maintain full control. Each time he told her to practice, she failed. Worst of all, she had risked her place in the tournament! And yet, even with such a motivation, such a goal, she had gone too far again. Her burning anger and frustration was mingled with relief as she realized she could continue the tournament. She was barely able to hold back tears of anger.  
Together they returned to space 16. Along with Piccolo and Gohan, she stared into space 6, where the Namek arrived with Zangya.  
“Hey, there’s no morgue here; put this useless meat bag somewhere else!” Bojack said, idly, without even looking at Zangya’s body that hung lifeless in the Namek’s arms.  
“And he doesn’t even care about his girl…” murmured Bra, surprised.  
“I don’t think they are together,” said Gohan. “In our universe, he killed her himself, just to distract me.”  
“And now is when you tell me that!?” shouted Bra.  
“What would it have changed?” asked Trunks as he approached.  
Bra glared at him. “I would not have been so angry if I knew Bojack wouldn’t care if I killed her!”  
“Sorry,” said Gohan gently – he meant it. Just as in every other universe, Zangya had become nothing more than another victim of Bojack.  
Bujin sat on one of the benches in his space. He pulled away several of the bandages that he wore, amazed at how quickly his minor injuries had disappeared. Oh, sure, the Bojack Gang had amazing powers, and his broken rib was almost repaired…but what remained of the group? At first, they were so numerous, so proud: a true band of pirates sowing terror in their wake. But the company had decreased unrelentingly, and all thanks to their leader Bojack.  
Bojack was powerful, and charismatic, and never took orders from anyone. But he was not a true leader. He was an asshole – nothing but the most powerful jerk in the universe. If Zangya had been the leader of the group, they would still be numerous. They wouldn’t have been imprisoned by the Kaios – they would have rise to the top of the universe. Bojack had done nothing but run this group of super-soldiers to ruin.  
Maybe this tournament would change things. Bujin had magical powers – but as the only one left, it was far from enough for him to be able to make a difference. Yet in an all-out battle, Bojack could die. Oh sweet hope. If all went well, who was to say that he would not kill both of them on a whim? And if he lost, perhaps he would kill the witnesses to his shame.  
What was certain, he thought, was that since their last major battle since the death of Bido and Gokua, the atmosphere was rotten. This tournament would change things, for better or worse. But at least it would change.  
He cast a glance at the group who shared their world. They were all more-or-less weak, with a few magical powers. But nothing impressive. What were they doing here? They had to be hiding something.  
Far above the twenty spaces, the ring began to reform itself. The next fight would be announced soon. While Bra and Gohan spoke quietly together about Zangya and Bojack, Piccolo approached Vegetto.  
“What will you do now? Will you unsubscribe her?”  
“I thought about it, but no,” replied Vegetto. “She really did her best, I could tell. Don’t you agree?”  
Piccolo frowned. “Yes, but…”  
“Do not worry, I’ll continue to monitor things.”  
“Next match!” shouted the host Varga. “Eleim from universe 19 against #16 from universe 12!”  
“You didn’t give up?” asked Trunks, seeing his friend start to move.  
“It’s also about giving respect to the opponent – he doesn’t want to win without a fight. And this universe is particularly interesting to me.”  
Trunks was a little surprised by this response. As #16 took off into the ring, he remembered his first encounter with the tall warrior, and their budding friendship after his mother, Bulma, set the robot to right…  
The first time universe 12 Trunks ever saw 16 was in the past – in the past and in another universe, when he traveled back to fight the terrible cyborgs 17 and 18 with Son Goku and the others. Unlike what had happened in his own world, the twins had disregarded Gero’s instructions to leave #16 in his box.  
In his own world, Gero had activated the twins without witnesses, and so they had doubtless left the lab without poking around through the evil genius’s other experiments.  
Contrary to Gero’s warnings, and unlike the twins, 16 was calm. He spoke very little, and didn’t enjoy fighting alongside his fellow machines against the Z Fighters. He preferred to enjoy nature. Despite his great strength, animals naturally seemed to approach him comfortably.  
The second time Trunks met the tall cyborg, he watched as 16 protected the female cyborg from Cell. From then on, he was considered an ally, but Trunks was still loath to trust him – something he mentioned to Kulilin when the little fighter took the damaged cyborg to Bulma to be repaired. Trunks later learned that 16 had also fought against Imperfect Cell after Piccolo was defeated, all to keep him from absorbing 17. But Trunks still hadn’t been sure whether the giant could be trusted. Even when 16 showed up at the Cell Games as a contestant to oppose Perfect Cell, it didn’t give the time traveler any confidence.  
But then something changed. 16’s sacrifice, though fruitless, was revealing. Trunks began to wonder if perhaps he had been wrong – if the others who trusted this cyborg, even his mother, were right. And ultimately it was thanks to 16 that Gohan went beyond his limits to become a Super Saiyan 2.  
Back in the future, after the Cell games, Vegeta’s son told his mother everything, down to the last detail. Future Bulma had never been aware that the third cyborg existed.  
In the first few months after Trunks destroyed the murderous twins of his timeline, he worked tirelessly to provide much-needed strength for the rebuilding of the world. But Bulma had a new idea.  
“Do you remember the cyborg 16 that you said so much about?” asked Bulma one morning while they ate breakfast.  
Trunks didn’t respond immediately, but just watched her for a few moments, wondering what she was thinking. “Sure. Why?”  
“It could still be in Gero’s lab in the mountains.”  
It was true – Trunks hadn’t thought of that. In this world, things were different; Gero could have destroyed it before activating 17 and 18. But it was equally possible that the giant was still in its box on standby. “It’s possible. I guess I should go and make sure it can never harm anyone.”  
“No, that’s not what I meant,” his mother clarified quickly. “It could be useful.”  
“You want to study the body?”  
“No, I meant it could be useful with reconstruction. I mean, as a person. If we woke it up.”  
“That’s impossible! We can’t trust any cyborg. You know that as well as I do!” Trunks was surprised that his mother would even suggest such a thing.  
“But from what you’ve told me, it is different than the others, no?” Bulma smiled warmly. “You said that 16 loved nature and did no harm to humans.”  
Trunks shook his head. “It’s different. When I went back into the past to kill Frieza, I changed the future! Everything is different now. There’s no way to be sure that 16 is the same.”  
“Trunks, you need help to rebuild our world and make a brighter future. This is a great opportunity! There’s a chance you could have an ally – a friend – with strength like you who could reconstruct buildings. He could even work night and day if need be! Wouldn’t it be great?”  
“The cyborgs are only good for destroying things, mom – not for building them!”  
“Look, if my counterpart in the past repaired 16, he MUST have been really different from the twins we know of. Could you at least bring him to me so that I could check him out?”  
“Yeah, and risk that he kills you when we activate him? Never! I’ve lost so many loved ones – you’re all I have left. I won’t risk your life.”  
“Don’t be silly, Trunks. You can protect me – as long as you’re close enough, you can stop the cyborg if he becomes dangerous.”  
“I won’t do it.”  
“Trunks…I know you’re angry because they killed your father, your mentor, your friends…but…maybe we can forgive. If 16 can help us rebuild, is that not a good thing?” Bulma spoke gently, calmly trying to reason with her son.  
Trunks hesitated. She was right about one thing – help would be quite welcome. But why 16? A creation of Doctor Gero…there was nothing he hated more. He could not bring himself to turn the work of his greatest enemy into a friend!  
“It’s out of the question!” shouted Trunks, slamming his fists against the table – though lightly, to avoid smashing it to splinters. “I have fought. I know what I’m talking about!”  
“I know!” shouted Bulma in return, trying to understand her son’s point of view. She calmed herself and continued. “I will not stay here while I could be helping humanity by providing something like this. If you won’t go and bring him back, then I’ll go alone!”  
Trunks said nothing, but remained standing. He wouldn’t let his mother leave…but she was clearly resolved. She had made up her mind, and nothing would change it now. She added:  
“You’ve become very strong now; you would have no difficulty stopping it.”  
Trunks was still conflicted. His anger and sadness still made it difficult for him to imagine treating a creation of Doctor Gero peacefully. Angry, he started to leave, but stopped after opening the door. He stood silently for a few moments, then turned back to his mother. “Okay. I’ll get him, if you really want to see. But I will not hesitate to destroy him at the slightest movement!”  
He ran out and blasted into his Super Saiyan state, taking off at full speed. Taking to the air helped him to calm down, a little. He still didn’t understand why, or how, his mother could want to use a cyborg…after all they had lived through, it seemed incredibly foolish.  
Trunks took his time in finding Gero’s lab in the mountains, making a wide detour. When he finally arrived at his destination, he relaxed out of his Super Saiyan transformation. Hesitantly, he looked for a way in. The main door was long gone, destroyed by the cyborgs two decades earlier. But after a while, he found a passage to crawl through.  
The interior was a real mess. You would have thought that hundreds of bombs had exploded inside, destroying everything. There was no electricity and no light – Trunks charged a tiny ball of energy in the palm of his hand and used it to see.  
He really hated this place. It was the birthplace of his worst enemies, horrific murderers. This was the third time he had been inside. The first was to stop Gero and destroy the cyborgs before they awoke…but he had been too late. The second time was when he entered with Kulilin, still in the past, hoping to find the cyborgs’ weakness in Gero’s plans. Now, in his own timeline, he was coming with the opposite goal: to activate one of the machines! In a way, he hoped not to find anything…  
But the box was there…overturned and spoiled, but there. Trunks lifted it with his right hand. The glass was broken, revealing the body of “number 16”. Bulma’s son broke the rest of the glass and examined the artificial human closely.  
He was in terribly poor condition. 16 lacked his right forearm and left hand, and his right leg was crushed. His entire right foot was completely twisted. The breastplate had collapsed and sunk several inches. Fortunately, the head was still intact. Trunks stood silently in front of the cyborg, wondering if he should bring it back…or simply destroy it and lie to his mother, telling her there was nothing there. He mulled it over…and finally decided to bring it back. After all, nothing was compelling him to be friendly to it!  
Trunks searched through the rubble for any parts or plans he was able to find, then brought the cyborg back to the ruins of Capsule Corporation. Bulma immediately began work to analyze what the genius Gero had created. She spent all her time on it, sleeping only a few hours each day for more than a week. With the plans Trunks had brought, she slowly began to understand the principles of how the cyborg worked.  
“It’s not really a cyborg after all,” she said to her son. Trunks stared blankly at the giant being as he brought his mother yet another cup of coffee. “In fact, it’s an android. A robot.”  
“And what does that change?” he asked.  
“It changes everything,” she announced, smiling. “It explains everything. This is why 16 was not violent. There are two types of robots: those who have a basic artificial programming and do nothing but what they are told, and those who have a true AI system. Such a decision engine is closer to a human brain, and that’s what 16 has. It doesn’t surprise me; no basic robot will be able to think fast enough to follow and do battle with great warriors like you.”  
“So what? He has a broom for a brain?” (Translator’s note: the French word for “broom” sounds like the French acronym for “artificial intelligence”.)  
“AI, not a broom, silly. This system gives him free will. A robot equipped with intelligence like this should be considered a citizen, not a machine. With free will, an android can choose not to obey its master, and this is exactly what 16 did. You said he repeatedly threatened to kill Goku, but never did.”  
“He set his priorities on Cell.”  
“And this is free will.”  
Trunks shrugged. “All I remember is that he never followed through with what he said.”  
“He is an independent mind, like you, like anyone. And never safer. No true AI has ever been violent – statistics prove it. They are always super nice. I bet that’s why Gero abandoned his design for 16 – the AI resisted the directive to kill Goku. Yet at the same time he had far more power than Gero could handle. So he deactived 16, kidnapped the twins, and created true cyborgs, half machine and half human, because the human brain is actually easier to control than a real AI intellect.”  
“Super…nice?”  
“You’d be surprised,” smiled Bulma. “He has nothing in common with 17 and 18. Absolutely nothing.”  
“Then why did he follow them all the time?” demanded Trunks.  
“He must have felt bound to them, perhaps responsible for what they did. And never mind those details. In the end, he was nothing but good.”  
Trunks grunted and left, carrying Bulma’s empty cups of coffee.  
The next day, after having verified that most of the systems were intact, she tried to start it up to test it. “He might open his eyes and speak.”  
Trunks was there, of course. He had to demonstrate his superiority just in case the cyborg – or android, whatever – tried something.  
Bulma tapped a few keys on her console. A few rattles were heard, then silence…and 16 opened his eyes as if waking from a coma. He glanced around, then saw Trunks.  
Trunks addressed him. “Sixteen?”  
The android heard him perfectly. “Yes.”  
“Son Goku died, many years ago,” said the half-Saiyan, hoping that hearing this news would make the android law there calmly.  
“Ok.” The android spoke simply, showing neither friendliness nor animosity.  
Trunks set his jaw. “From what I know…it looks like you want to protect the Earth, nature, and life in general, is that right? You’re a Good Samaritan…super nice?”  
16 didn’t reply immediately; he could tell Trunks was being sarcastic. He checked his systems, and realized that he could not move anything but his head. This was unfamiliar – where was he? Looking around, he recognized the daughter of Doctor Brief. Trunks interrupted his thoughts:  
“Does that apply to humans as well? Will you help and protect the humans?”  
“Yes. I like the humans too,” the android said, smiling.  
Was it enough? The machine could be lying, Trunks knew. And even if this was consistent with what he knew from the past, there was a chance that things could go wrong…so he took one more step. “One last thing then.”  
Focusing, Trunks concentrated his ki, his hair rising and standing up on his head while turning from purple to gold. His eyes became green, and his muscle mass expanded violently. His mother was impressed…and a little worried too.  
“Can you scan my power level, Number Sixteen? Do you know how strong I am?”  
“Yes.”  
“You can see that I’m stronger than you.”  
“You are. Much stronger, and much more than Gero could imagine.”  
“I’m sure of that.” Trunks allowed himself a hint of a grin.  
Trunks returned to normal, his hair falling loosely around his face again. He said nothing for a long moment, staring at his mother who waited to see what he would do. 16 still watched him, motionless.  
“So here is the deal,” Trunks said finally, to his mother’s great relief. “We can repair you. We will get you back, all good and running. But you will give us your time, energy, and power to help rebuild humanity. Are you ok with that?”  
“It would be a great pleasure.”  
Trunks added one threat. “And if you act in any way that could be harmful to humans, I will destroy you immediately, just like I destroyed Number Eighteen and Number Seventeen. Clear?”  
“You are clear,” the android finally answered, smiling again. He understood. His internal clock indicated that many years had passed. Gero must have made other models after him – models that had caused widespread destruction. They had gone beyond their directive of killing Goku. Trunks, Vegeta’s son, became a big boy and spent his life improving until he could overcome and destroy them.  
Bulma stood. For her, it was enough. Her son continued:  
“Good. We can see. I do not trust you, but…”  
“I’m sure everything will be fine,” his mother said with a smile.  
“Mom…let’s rebuild Sixteen!”  
It took them two months to repair his damaged limbs and make the necessary replacements. During these months, 16 stayed awake, even chatting with Bulma. Trunks wasn’t very happy about it. But he allowed it; a robot who couldn’t move or do anything other than talk wasn’t very dangerous.  
To Trunks, it was still risky. 16 was a creation of Doctor Gero, so he could still be dangerous; that would not change after Bulma reactivated his functions. But she worked fast – before too long, 16 could move and use his hands just like new! After all, she had managed to build a machine to travel back in time; rebuilding a robot was a piece of cake!  
After several days walking around Capsule Corporation to make sure that the machine didn’t blow a cable, Bulma decided to present him to the world…but as one of her own creations. They could not tell people that 16 was built by the same madman who had created 17 and 18. Trunks wasn’t exactly a fan of this idea, but he had to admit that 16 seemed friendly.  
With Trunks always at his side, 16 began working on the first city. He could carry heavy beams on his own, large concrete blocks. He could fly and carry materials to the tops of high buildings much faster than a crane could have. Very soon, people began thanking, congratulating him. The new spread quickly around the world: it was said that a robot created by the famous Bulma of Capsule Corporation was helping Trunks to rebuild the world. 16 began receiving fan mail – he was especially popular with children. Everyone loved him.  
However, Trunks continued to be suspicious – he insulted 16 regularly. When he asked 16 why he helped the humans, and the machine replied, “Because I love them,” the Saiyan had replied:  
“You do not love them. You’re a machine; you do not have a heart or feelings. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” This kind of remark was common. He rarely spoke to the android except to give orders and belittle him. But 16 never snapped back. He was always smiling, always trying to please the humans, always ready to follow whatever orders Trunks and Bulma gave him.  
Trunks and 16 were far from friends.  
Trunks even had nightmares where he saw 16 with a sadistic smile like the cyborgs, hands stained with blood and surrounded by bodies. He was amazed that his mother didn’t have similar dreams.  
“When I was younger, the house was filled with robots. They were all friendly and helpful. There was no problem.”  
“Sixteen is not the same!”  
“But oh, he is exactly the same.”  
Trunks ignored her. 16 was a creation of evil. Sooner or later, he would do something wrong.

 

“Both fighters are now in place on the ring! The fight can begin!” announced the lead Varga, startling Trunks from his thoughts.  
16 smiled again. He waited for his opponent, Eleim, to make the first move.  
A visor from the radar system of his armor instantly appeared before Eleim’s eyes as it scanned, revealing some important information. ‘No sign of life detected, not even a red blood cell! It is a combat robot, not a human being. No need to go easy on it…’ he thought.  
Allowing the visor to slide back from his eyes, he held out his left arm, braced it with his right, and shouted while jumping backward: “Ultra Waver Ball!!”  
It was the same attack that Xeniloum had used against Buu. The glowing orb was relatively slow – lazy enough to follow with ordinary eyes – but fatally destructive!  
“If that touches me, I’m dead!” realized 16 immediately as his scanners analyzed the attack.  
‘When you duck,’ thought Eleim as he took off into the air, ‘you’ll be more open to my next shots!’  
But 16 didn’t dodge. His hands snapped off at the forearm, revealing a devastating weapon. “HELL’S FLASH!” he shouted, pointing both arms at the ball of energy that was now only six feet away.  
The explosion was violent. Eleim had not expected this and was a bit too close; he had to cover his face to protect himself from the blast. It was a mistake that 16 took advantage of; as soon as he launched the attack, he quickly moved to come around behind the warrior from universe 19 and slam into him with a violent kick from behind. Eleim fell like a stone onto the ring near the crater formed by the explosion.  
He rolled onto his side to avoid 16, who came down with a crushing blow. But he had no time to rest; 16’s fists were still detached and came flying toward him, forcing Eleim to take off. He was pretty smooth – he had good reflexes in addition to a good sense of where the attacks would come from. He jumped to avoid the first fist, then turned to the second and activated the blaster on his right arm. The orbs of energy exploded against the fist violently, destroying it.  
16 recovered his right fist and lunged at Eleim again, his left arm firing an energy beam from close range. Again, Eleim demonstrated flexibility and dexterity, gripping the android’s forearm and lifting his legs to avoid the deadly attack. Then he kicked 16 violently in the face, only to be met with a crushing punch to the chest. Both backed up, ready for another go.  
“His armor makes him as resistant as a cyborg! But his strikes and his superhuman speed, he owes them to his boosted and trained body!” 16 concluded after brief analysis.  
“If not for my armor, that would have destroyed my heart…he is very strong, I have to be careful,” Eleim decided simultaneously.  
The fight would be difficult for both fighters. No longer could they rely on their strength to win; victory would require them to exploit the weaknesses of the other and use their best strategies…  
The battle between #16 of Universe 12 and Eleim of Universe 19 was well underway. Attacks and parries between the two fighters were rapidly exchanged between the two combatants. Between the two of them no real advantage was gained.  
Nanoguerrier's armor made him as strong and physically imposing as the cyborg created by Gero. The fight between the two warriors was found amazing the audience.  
After the two fighters launched a simultaneous punch to the face, sending them both flying back several meters Eleim found an opening. "This is my chance!" he thought, as small retros activated from his dorsal armor, propelling the warrior as he suddenly accelerated at 16 with great speed, his arms stretched forward. He was able to easily push the robot to the edge of ring, causing crashes in the middle of the crater that had formed by the Waver Ball and Hell's Flash. With his armor and nanodevices circulating in his blood, Eleim reached quickly punched #16in the belly before it could counter his attack, and then slammed his hands into # 16’s back, causing him to crash into the ground.  
"The gravity! Its increasing bit by bit!” # 16 noticed as he could no longer move just as easily as he could before.  
His opponent took the opportunity to boast. “My anti-G not only allows me to float, but also increases the severity of what I touch. You are a prisoner!” he informed the warrior space 19.  
“... damn!” the cyborg promptly began looking for a solution to get out.  
Eleim, felt that If the fight dragged on he would certainly lose. After all, his opponent was a machine and machine did not tire, so he quickly prepared an attack to finish the fight. He cried:  
“ My Ultra Waver will melt you into scrap you machine!” His Ultra Waver attack was different from Waver Ultra Ball. At the origin of the Ultra Waver, it was a ray of waves, coupled with a high density particle bombardment of photons, a kind of mega microwave brought to their climax. They would burn to an extreme heat, liquefying and partially evaporate the metal of just about any material. A living being would reduce to the state of vapor. The form of the attack itself, the Ultra Waver Ball was simply shaping a ball of flame-throwers this particular and destructive.  
# 16 found no solution. Despite his strength, he could not fight against the gravity system, which seemed to be growing stronger. His earrings were removed from his ears by the force of the heavy ring, falling to the ground as if they weighed a hundred pounds. Smiling, he said:  
“Sorry ... Trunks ... I hope that Dragon Balls ... have compassion for a robot like me.”  
“No! Give up #16, it’s not worth dying over!” Trunks shouted from space 12. Fear washed over him, would Eleim simply erase # 16, like this? Thirty seconds to pass for the Vargas to declare a winner. Was sixteen going to give up, just like that? The worst part was the fact he had brought up the Dragonballs, which, despite Cell’s defeat in the fact in the other universe and Shenron’s summoning, the android was not ‘’ressurected’’ by the eternal dragon. If Eleim destroyed # 16, it would be the end of him. It would be impossible to bring him back.  
And that’s when it finally struck. Trunks was afraid of losing his friend ...  
Since Bulma and Trunks had resurrected # 16 in the world, every week Bulma would monitor his programming and everything was fine. For months, everything went normally. And for months, Trunks did not hesitate to monitor and follow the cyborg.  
One morning, while # 16 was with Bulma at Capsule Corp. Trunks went to another city to help construct a building or two. It was that day that Bulma received a call from the power plant in the city:  
“This is a disaster!” said a technician from the other end of the line. “Because of a leak, the engine loses fuel! If it stops it won’t restart means months! This is a disaster!”  
“We must repair the leak then!” Bulma react.  
“Impossible, radioactivity is enormously high! The only equipment still in a state to protect us is in another city, and you do not have time to recover! All we can do is leave the reactor off!”  
“We're screwed, you must evacuate the city. If the reactor continues to operate, but it no longer has fuel, it could explode! It must be stopped immediately!”  
“Impossible! The temperature of the reactor heart is just too high! Nobody could survive!”  
“ But I could, “ intervened # 16 who was standing right next to Bulma.  
The latter looked at him. He was right: it was the only one who could do something. Probably even Trunks wouldn’t be able to survive such an intense dose of radiation not survive ... Bulma made a decision that would not have pleased her son.  
“Okay, let's go.”  
In less than five minutes, they were there: # 16 who had carried Bulma in the air arrived with little incident. This time his smile was gone and he looked really serious. He understood very well the seriousness of the situation ...  
On site, they explained in detail the situation: he had to go to the heart of the reactor, find the console on and off. Then he had to fix the leak. A technician showed Bulma and # 16 and the location of each thing on a plane, the cyborg memorized it without any difficulty.  
But when performing its mission, a girl shouted the name of the cyborg. The latter turned to see her running toward him, crying. She must have been four or five years ...  
“ What are you doing here? I told you to go home!” one of the technicians told the little girl . It was obviously his daughter.  
“Mr. Robot,” she said, stopping at # 16, who had knelt down until he was about her height, before even turning off the engine, “ if my mom isn’t sent to the hospital she will stay sick as much other moms ...”  
The father said nothing. He did not move. He did not say anything ... probably because he knew that the best solution was to save the city ... at the expense of his wife…  
Bulma had also tried to think of something, but no solution came to mind. They could not keep the reactor in operation...  
“I'll take care it, do not worry about your mom,” # 16 replied smiling. It had an idea.  
He stood up and turned to Bulma:  
“I am able to feed the reactor with my energy. Trunks should be able to fix the leak. I will wait.”  
“No you cannot! It would take an hour to find and explain the situation! By the time time he returns you’ll be melted and have lost all your energy!  
“If I deactivate several of system functions it will help me store up save my energy. Do not waste time. If my life can save the lives of others, do not hesitate.”  
# 16 went immediately to the entrance of the factory. Bulma stood there a few seconds, founding herself more reassured about the good intentions of cyborgs. She could no longer waste any time, she borrowed the vehicle from a technician to go find his son.  
# 16 was congratulated by many employees of the factories, who saw him as a hero. And it pleased him! Once inside the plant, he hurried, running through the multitude of hallway, smashing some armored doors to pass, and reached the heart of the reactor. Temperature exceeded a thousand degrees. At first glance, nothing alarming: his body was able to bear the intense heat.  
He stood in front of one of the large pipes that brought fuel, so he opened a hatch, detached his hands from his forearm and performed his Hell's Flash. The energy he continuously sent allowed the reactor to regain its normal performance. But because of the leak, he had to maintain this level energy input continuously ... The deactivation of several programs had indeed saved him some energy ... thought it would only be a few minutes ... but it was, he hoped, enough to be sufficient.  
It is a little over an hour later whan Trunks arrived at the factory. He took half a second plan a technician had in his hands and immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan, and hoping that his golden aura would protect some measure of protection from the radiation.  
His mother told him to fix the leak first. After browsing through the corridors, he found himself just above the heart of the reactor room. He glanced downwards to see the # 16 standing still sending energy through a huge pipe. The heat was unbearable. The cylindrical glass surrounding the bridge was melting from the intense heat, gradually losing its shape. Trunks had no time to lose, if he just stood there and the glass broke he would overwhelmed by the sudden rise and intensity of heat.  
Picking his way with a hint of nervousness, he mentally noted how courageous the android was being. Just as his counterpart was during his sacrifice against Cell ... After a few seconds and a few corridors later, Trunks finally arrived to where that infamous fight: because of cyborgs # 17 and # 18, the city suffered a lot of damage, and could not rebuild everything from scratch. Most of the debris, rubble, was nearly cleared and a few places were primed for new structures to be built. A piece of pipe had been damaged and would explode any moment under the pressure of energy.  
Trunks pulled a metal plate of the corridor, placed at the location of the hole, and with his ki melted and seal the plate to the pipe. It was a makeshift repair, but it would do for the time being, until a permanent repair could be made.  
Trunks than quickly retraced his steps on the bridge above the heart of the reactor. But nothing had moved. # 16 seemed disconnected, while continuing to provide energy. But now that the leak was repaired, a surplus of energy could blow everything up! And if # 16 was "off", there was no way to stop him.  
Trunks would risk his life for that of # 16 and the inhabitants of the city ...  
Still in his Super Saiyan state he crossed the molten glass and went to the side of # 16. Already he could feel the enormous surge of heat around him. His aura shielded him to some degree, but it should not remain long!  
He suddenly knocked # 16 on the cheek, knocking. This shock stopped the Hell's Flash. Trunks did not linger and closed the hatch. Then he ran toward the exit of the room. He did not look back once until he noticed that # 16 was still on the ground. He thought it would have immediately responded and follow, but this was not the case.  
Once again, Trunks thought to leave it there and quickly get to safety ... but thinking it over # 16 risked his well-being to protect human. He was not like the other murderous androids that plagued his world.  
...  
Turning around, he swore and ran back to # 16...  
Arriving with the android everyone cheered the son of Bulma and the robot. # 16 had definitely earned the title of hero and savior of the city. But there was fear that # 16 never wakes up ...  
Bulma managed to rectify it. The body of # 16 had not been damaged. His programs were all intact, just as they were from yesterday’s inspection. The only thing Bulma noticed was that his energy levels were down, but because of the plant operation that was to be expected.  
# 16 finally woke up after some time, only to be personally thanked by Trunks:  
“What you have done for us, humans, was brave ... You did not have to but you did. Everyone talks about you as a hero.”  
“I only did what needed to be done,” said the robot.  
“I know. I always knew ... But I did not want to believe it ... I couldn’t help but think of you as another monster created by Dr. Gero, but you’ve proved me wrong. In a sense, these last few months, you had more sense than me. It took your sacrifice for me to realize that you are not only valuable as an ally, but as a friend.”  
“As a friend?” # 16 repeated, preferring to retain the essential.  
“# 16, work for humanity, not as master and slave ... but as equals, as friends,” Trunks asked, holding out his hand toward cyborgs, smiling.  
# 16 smiled back and accepted this proposal. He shook hands with his friend Trunks. Thus, the son of Bulma and Vegeta freed himself from this malaise, this anger against the cyborg, while the only fault laid with Gero himself.  
"Why do I hesitate to finish this machine? No matter, he is a robot!" Eleim thought outstretching his arm at # 16 below it, ready to melt him with this last attack.  
“# 16 should give up if he wants to survive.” Yamcha of universe 9 noted his friends. “This Eleim is serious.” He noted.  
“And hesitating ... “ Kulilin added. He had gained many decades worth of experiences from all the battles he witnessed and fought. One of the things he aptly recognized was subtle cue in body language.  
At the control center a Varga, began spectating:  
“ Another sixteen seconds before Eleim claims victory.”  
In the ring, # 16 kept looking at Eleim looking, smiling and waiting for his final shot. But the warrior of the universe 19 did not attack again.  
“Say, robot! Say you quit! Otherwise I will destroy you!”  
“Sorry ... replied. “ # 16, for both Eleim, whom would have to reluctantly destroy him, that mouch he could see in the warriors eyes, he wanted to avoid the finishing blow, and for Trunks as well. “Farewell, Trunks,” he continued. “I was delighted ... to be your friend.”  
“ You ... you have a friend .... but if I have to shoot a man down for our vow, I will!” Eleim cried again, trying for the last time to avoid a "senseless killing.”  
“That's it, I'm a man in your eyes? You are not without heart ... Allies and compassion you have,” replied # 16, suddenly causing the other warrior to slightly recoil. “I am reassured; your world is in good hands. I give up.”  
“W- what?” the warrior stammered. “You risked your life to check it? Why?” asked the chief warriors of the space 19 by disabling the anti-G.  
“This is the victory of the universe Eleim 19! “ cried the host, Varga while # 16 stood up.  
“Everyone here has their ambitions, “ # 16 began as he faced the winner of the fight. “Thirst for power, revenge, challenge, and other vows ... If I attended, it was to defeat someone, because it was my mission to my original creation. But I could not. When I saw Yamcha forfiet to help another cyborg, I wanted to follow his example a bit. Now I know that your world is not ruled by demonic beings ...”  
# 16 had just finished his tirade and was already turning back to Eleim, preparing to return to his space. Eleim did not stir a few seconds, and then called out his opponent:  
“Wait! I ... I was delighted to fight against you.”  
# 16 turned, once more facing Eleim, still wearing the smile.  
“It is the same for me.”  
“I'm sorry about your hand. But kudos for this fight!” stated the nanoguerrier, holding out her hand to # 16.  
The smile grew a little more, and he agreed to shake hands with his opponent. That was not only the best evidence of fair sportsmanship, but the first of the tournament. They parted finally back in their respective space.  
“So was this, if not a victory?” he wondered, making a loop around to spaces, passing by Son Goku on his way back to his Universe space.”  
“You should definitely feel proud. You did your best,” Goku congratulated, with no malice in his voice.  
And of course, the Warrior face took ill and was tempted to insult Goku ... but managed to change his mind and just go... But still, # 16 couldn’t help what he felt. What was the pain in his head? Was there bits of residual Dr. Gero programming still in his head? Dismissing it, he decided to return to Trunks just as the Universe 19 fighter was welcomed among his friends.The first round of the tournament would finally be ending soon. There were still twelve fighters left, meaning there were six more fights left to go. Almost all the universes had at least one fighter pass to the second round. So far, that excluded I'K'L of Universe 15 and Broly of the Universe 20. However, in Universe 7, the sole Namekian combatant hadn't yet fought. But the possibility remained that Universe 7, as well, could have no representative in round two. In addition, Universe 10 had no one still left in the tournament. Despite winning his fight against Reacum, Nail and the other competitors had all forfeited.  
While many combatants had already begun to get excited about their next matches, several others were still waiting for their first fight. But before the last six fights of round one could resume, the Vargas would have to reconstruct the ring once again. It had been completely devastated by Eleim and # 16. However, before returning to the designated space for Universe 12, the tall android walked over and congratulated Eleim. In turn, the nano-warrior thanked # 16 cordially for the fight, leaving the android to attend to his "war wound".  
During the fight, Eleim had smashed his foe's left hand to pieces. The Ultra Armor of Universe 19 had turned out to be very effective. There were very few things on Earth that could possibly damage the sturdy metal construction of the robot in any way. And yet...

"Don't worry, 16. It just so happens I've got a substitute hand right here in my suitcase," Trunks said with a chuckle. "...only problem is...it's red, rubber, and only has four fingers ..."  
# 16 didn't immediately respond, not sure what to make of Trunks' remark. His skill at diagnosis and deconstruction of human behaviors was still something that occasionally left him stumped. Obviously, though, this was a joke...the machine chose the best possible reaction: a smile.  
"If my mother was here, along with all her equipment," the young man with purple hair explained, "…we could fix you right up. Sorry I'm no scientist, but I'm sure we'll get you back to normal when we return..."  
"It did not damage my weapon systems," specified # 16. "Besides, I have no more fighting to do regardless of my condition. I lost."  
Trunks thought for a moment. It was certain that even with one hand, the robot was capable of just about anything. He could defend himself quite well if he had to, but there would be no need for him to fight. He wondered if the Vargas would have the means to repair 16's hand; he guessed they probably did. It was possible, though, that the droid was not considered a living being, and thus not entitled to the same healing or "care" afforded to the other contenders. Of course, there were other options as well. Majin Buu, or Buu of Universe 4 could potentially repair him with magic...Trunks wasn't sure if asking would be the best idea, or how he would even go about doing it. All he knew about the Djinn was that he was a formidable foe, one his friends from "the past" had defeated, whose essence had then been reincarnated into the young Uub. In the end, Trunks thought it best not to ask Buu for help. Perhaps later.  
"Sorry, bud. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do right now. You'll have to make do…" Trunks said with a shrug.  
#16 turned his head to his right, back towards the ring. Just then, something popped into Trunks' memory, a detail he had nearly forgotten to mention. There was something he absolutely had to tell his friend, a warning he had been reminded of during 16's fight.  
"Hey, 16, I have to tell you something. Earlier, when you said you hoped the Dragon would be merciful and revive you...well, I already know that it won't."  
The robot said nothing, looking at Trunks with his unemotional stare. The young man continued.  
"In the past, when you sacrificed yourself to defeat Cell...we won, and later we used the Dragon Balls to resurrect everyone that Cell had killed, like me. But, you weren't revived."  
Trunks almost added "because you're technically not a living being," but it was useless. He knew 16 understood that very well. The son of Bulma and Vegeta spent a few seconds waiting for a reaction from # 16, which was ultimately very simple: he smiled.  
"I see, " he said casually. "The Sacred Dragon does not consider me alive...I cannot blame him. Thank you, Trunks."  
# 16 deserved better, and it was difficult for Trunks to accept. Although he was just a robot, made of simple metal and electrical circuits, he had more consciousness and soul than many human beings. He deserved to be alive...and if Trunks somehow managed to win the tournament, although the chances were almost nil, he would use his wish in hopes of helping his friend achieve it. He would ask Shenron to remake his friend # 16 out of flesh and blood!  
A Namekian came into space 12 shortly, one of the healers. He couldn't have known that # 16 was completely made of metal though...  
"Let me heal your arm," he said as he walked slowly toward the two friends.  
"It won't work," Trunks gently told him while Namek took the robot arm.  
He was surprised at the touch of metal, then looked up at # 16.  
"My deepest apologies. I'm afraid I cannot fix this."  
Just as Shenron could not revive him, so couldn't this Namek repair his arm.  
"You do not need to worry, it will be taken care of," # 16 replied, already grateful for the healer's attempt to help him.  
The healer seemed genuinely empathetic towards # 16 and his loss. But, having no use there, he bowed slightly then left. Still thinking, Trunks walked back to the robot.  
"16, what would you think about a wish to make you human?" Trunks asked the machine, having taken a few moments considering how best phrase the question.  
# 16 looked at him without saying anything, thinking quietly before he replied.  
"I would not be myself anymore. I would probably lose this body along with all my strength, preventing me from being able to help all humans back on Earth rebuild."  
It was complicated, a scenario with far too many parameters to take into account. If he was transformed into a human, would he become "weak" like them? No doubt, it would lead to him losing all his useful advantages, those needed now more than ever in the reconstruction of their world. But before Trunks could continue the discussion, the next fight was announced.  
"Ladies and Gentlemen!!! The next round shall now commence! We call...King Cold of universe 8, against Videl from universe 9!" the announcer's voice boomed.  
'What? Cold, the last member of the family of the Frost Demons...against Videl...as in Gohan's wife?' Trunks hadn't paid attention to the number of the universe, hence the confusion. Looking to his left, behind Babidi and the rest of universe 11, past the empty space of the tenth, he saw those of universe 9 and universe 8. King Cold stood straight and tall, his arms crossed angrily. Trunks then looked over to the space of universe 9. Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Kulilin had all turned, looking behind them to the inner apartments. Three people then emerged: Videl, another Trunks, and Bulma.  
This Videl was very different from her universe 16 and 18 counterparts. One quite obvious contrast was her haircut: the girl from universe nine had short hair, like a boy, except that it had a braid that fell down to the middle of her back. She wore a T-shirt and brown, military-like camo pants, at least fit enough to be comfortable in combat. She also wore the same shoes as the universe 9 and 12 Trunks. This Trunks, though, was more like Yamcha in comparison to the others of universes 12, 16 and 18. He had the same violet hair color, typical of a child of Bulma, but a physical build that was much closer to his father, Yamcha. He was dressed normally, wearing simple black slacks and a blue jacket. He held in his hand a sword scabbard...to think that all the Trunks, whether from this universe or another, would come to bear a sword. Beside him was his mother, with whom he spoke. She also had a different look about her. She wore a petite red dress with sandals. Her hairstyle was rather retro in comparison to her counterparts, and it seemed more youthful. She had long hair that reached to her lower back and wore both bracelets and earrings. She had on very little makeup, and no lipstick or nail polish. In short, she was a natural woman; middle-aged, but still with a vibrant youth about her somehow.  
Trunks pulled the sword from its sheath, revealing a beautiful shining blade. He handed it to Videl, who grasped it with one hand and lifted it up over her shoulder for easier carriage.  
"Are you sure you want to use it?" Kulilin asked Videl. "It will slow down the speed of your attacks," he reminded her.  
Videl turned to the bearded dwarf to reply.  
"This sword is strong, right? So if I need speed, I'll just let it go. No problem."

But Videl was confident in her abilities. Today was her chance. She could test her limits, show her teachers her best, and fight a demon she had always dreamed of facing. It had been years since she had been told about the terrible battles with Freeza's family. First, between the master of a vast empire throughout the universe, Coola, and her teachers, and then later on against his father, King Cold. But she had never been able to meet either. This time, fate seemed to be on her side!  
Her right hand, still holding the Z-sword, trembled slightly from the strain, though Videl only smiled. She risked a glance to her left, over towards the area of universe 8. King Cold was still there, ready to step into the ring at any moment. Their eyes met, the tall demon's smile vanishing. Perfect! This would be fun! They flew in unison towards the small planet which acted as the ring.  
Meanwhile, in spaces of universes 16 and 18, everyone's jaws dropped in shock. Videl? Fight? It was unthinkable! Son Gohan would have never dreamed it was possible, but none of the others would have either. The only thing Son Gohan could manage to say was "Wow!"  
His wife, obviously jealous, could not help but shout out him.  
"Hey, who do you think you're ogling like that?"  
"But, Videl...it's...you!" Gohan replied, looking at her apologetically.  
"What? You're kidding!"  
Videl looked into his eyes for a few seconds, before turning and trying to make out if it really was her counterpart in the distance. It wasn't easy for her to see details like people's faces so far away...whereas the Saiyans obviously managed fairly well. How were they able to do so anyway? Regardless, the question that immediately arose was how could she possibly enroll in such a tournament? Even a different version of her, one that had trained all her life with the greatest martial arts masters...it didn't seem possible that she could compete...  
Twenty years ago, she had discovered her drive when she first met Gohan. In that time, she had surpassed ninety-nine percent of the world's population in strength, had accompanied him as the second Great Saiyaman for two or three years, then gave birth to their daughter and took a permanent hiatus from fighting. Her duties as a mother were what she most passionate about now. But the thought that she could actually fight...in this tournament? Even the members of universe 10, who had been the weakest here, were well beyond her capacity to compete against.  
But one thing was true. The universe 9 Videl had a very different look from her counterpart, a strange confidence. She was ready to do battle, even against a Frost Demon. She even looked younger, though it was mainly due to her different hair and clothing. Videl knew there could be only one explanation. Their lives had clearly separated down different roads...but when exactly had it happened? Regardless, she hoped in any case that her counterpart wouldn't die. Her daughter had seen the other Pan die before her own eyes. If she saw her mother's doppelganger do the same, it would only further traumatize the tender-hearted girl.  
Upon landing in the ring, Videl immediately suffered from the shock of the gravity. Her sword, which was already heavy, weighed ten times more!  
"With this heavy gravity," she said with a stumble, "…its even more difficult to wield the Z-sword," Videl quietly noted.  
Cold himself had only placed one foot into the ring, smashing the ground underneath.  
"I sure hope she isn't the same stubborn girl she used to be. Maybe she'll forfeit quickly!" Gohan said. "The last thing I want is to see her get massacred like all those years ago when she fought Spopovitch! And he was a pathetic weakling...against King Cold, she's going to get herself killed!"  
In the are of universe 16, Gohan, who had lost his daughter, was thinking the same thing, only he continued.  
"But this time I will NOT allow anyone, least of all a Frost Demon, to sadistically torture the woman I love--even if she is from another universe."  
Vegetto, taking notice, looked over at him. It was a noble sentiment, but could become problematic. He decided then and there that if Videl was about to be killed, he would either have to knock Gohan out or teleport him somewhere into space...whatever happened, he would not allow universe 16 to be disqualified.  
"Our two fighters stand face to face like unmovable pillars! The battle tension is just exhilarating! Now...let the battle begin!" the Varga announcer spoke energetically into his microphone. He hoped his own intensity would cause the two warriors to immediately rush each other, making for an exciting match.

"But...is that really the Z-sword!?" wondered the Kaio of the West.  
"How could a mere human wield such a thing?" wondered the South Kaio.  
"It's incredible!" Continued the Kaiô Shin East. "I never imagined humans could be that strong!"  
The Great Kaiô, who stood to the side of the other three gods, said nothing, merely watching. Videl finally looked ready to attack.  
"You know...I've always wanted to fight you myself," she said, taking a fighting stance.  
"Hm. It seems that somehow you know of me from your own universe. As for my own, I've never had the displeasure of dealing with any of your kind...all so weak and pathetic. I dare you to prove me wrong, little girl...why don't you leave that sword stuck in the ground and fight like a warrior!" he cried, finally charging his opponent.  
Videl reacted with a quarter turn, having already prepared herself for an attack. She glared back, pulling energy around her.  
"Kaioken!"   
Immediately, a bright red aura swarmed around her. Videl's muscles contracted, hardened, and her strength increased dramatically. She raised her arms above her head, easily lifting the heavy blade of legend. But her first strike, a vertical slash, had been anticipated. Using a rather conservative defense, Cold dodged the blow by jumping to one side.  
It seemed strange. For King Cold to er on the side of caution was a peculiarity indeed. But he had taken careful notice that Videl's technique, the Kaioken, had a name reminiscent of the gods...  
Videl pointed her blade at towards the sky, gritting her teeth and re-positioning the grip into her left fist. She was not surprised that her first attack had failed. If it had worked, though, a slash like that could have ended the fight before it even began.  
'I know I have to finish this quickly, before I run out of energy. Right now he seems to be on the defensive--I can't waste my chance to attack! Forget the drawbacks of this technique...It's my only hope,' she thought.  
Gripping the sword tightly with both hands, she charged again. Despite the weight of the sword and the ten times gravity, she was able to maintain an impressive speed. Cold retreated two steps, avoiding a sudden horizontal slice. He jumped to the side to get behind Videl, but she continued her movement, driven by the weight of the sword. If he hadn't dodged quickly and decisively, he would've been turned into cold cuts! He jumped up onto the blade from underneath, using the opportunity to kick at her from below. But Videl proved quite agile, the furious red aura around her seeming to boost speed as well. Opening up her hand so her palm faced the demon, she launched a powerful attack. A close range blast like that would have send Cold careening out of the ring, but he proved faster than Videl had expected. Just before impact he disappeared, avoiding the energy ball and reappearing a few meters away.  
He had no time to think about a real strategy or whether the sword was actually dangerous. There was no time to wonder if any such weapon could hurt or even scratch him. He knew, based on everything he had seen so far in this tournament, not to take any chances. Videl charged again, this time thrusting the tip of the sword forward, ready to pierce her opponent. But it seemed slower than her first attack had been, a fact which Cold immediately took advantage of.  
He avoided her with the slightest of movements, right at the last instant, and grabbed both the blade and his opponent's wrists from behind. Already, his own tactics drew a smile to the demon's face. But it had been a feint attack! Videl flung a backwards kick into Cold, who flinched. She continued with a second shot from her other leg. Cold seemed to stumble, having been forced into a poor defensive posture, one inadequate to block Videl's next assault.  
Vaulting off her opponent, Videl gracefully hopped over his shoulders and flanked Cold with yet another kick to his face. The Frost Demon was thrown onto his back from the impact, in the process losing his grip on Videl's wrists. The girl immediately continued with her sword, but she saw out the corner of her eye that Cold was prepared to counter with a kick. Turning quickly, she parried his kick with her knees and flew back several meters. Sensing a break in the action, she relaxed herself from the Kaioken in order to save stamina for Cold's next assault. She knew that the next attack would not be immediate; Cold had begun the fight with something of a warm up. He was biding his time, testing her abilities.  
"Wow! How can she use the Kaiôken?" Uub wondered, watching while the two fighter's bout momentarily slowed down.  
"But Grandpa!" Pan protested. "If my mom can use Kaiôken, why won't you let me?"  
But Goku had no immediate answer. In fact, he was too astonished that his daughter-in-law could use the technique to reply. If it had been Uub, who was the human reincarnation of Buu, a being with both potential and power, he would understand. Had Tenshinhan, who was a fighting genius, used the technique, it wouldn't have surprised him in the least. Even Kulilin had managed to master at least a portion of the Genkidama's energy against Vegeta! But Videl had never been driven like them--at least in their universe...  
"You all look pretty surprised that the other me is using that technique," the universe 18 Videl said. "So what gives?"  
"That technique is extremely dangerous, so much that only my father has been able to master it," Gohan immediately replied. "He learned it from King Kaiô himself, then my father taught it to Uub. Apart from those two, nobody else can use it. To a normal, living person, using the Kaioken would probably be fatal!"  
"So...in this universe 9, I would have had to die at least once, right?" Videl concluded.  
Everyone was left speechless by her observation. It seemed that universe 9 had many secrets left to reveal. How did Kulilin, who didn't know Son Goku, become proficient in the Kame-turtle style? And how was there also a Cyborg Yamcha and Z-sword wielding Videl that practiced the Kaiôken? What one change had led to all these others?  
Within the ring, Cold and Videl were also chatting.  
"Do you realize, girl, that I am not in the final transformed state?"  
"Yes, I know...unfortunately."  
"Hm...I have several restriction forms," he began explaining as he cracked the joints of his neck. "In my original form this body is quite powerful. But I purposefully limit my own strength through the use of reduction forms, simply for the sake of maintaining control of course. When we Frost Demons transform to a state closer to our original form, our power, at the very least, doubles in comparison to the previous form."  
Videl let him speak. She was waiting for the right moment to attack or for a brief moment where her opponent would not be paying attention. But he seemed very careful. He continuously stared at her as he continued his explanation.  
"In my case, I would say that my strength multiplies about four to five times. And as it just so happens, I am currently in my second reduction form...which means--"  
"--That you have two transformations left," Videl quickly concluded.  
"That's it."  
Cold smiled. It seemed she did indeed know plenty about him from her own universe. But he had made up his mind already. Remaining in this weakened state was too great a risk...  
"Given the level of the tournament," he said, clenching his fists, "I cannot remain in this reduction form any longer."  
He concentrated and summoned his power. The ring began to tremble, the force of his energy rippling through the air with intensity.  
"Uh oh, he's about to transform!" Yamcha said.  
"I think she just lost her chance at winning, guys," Kulilin said. "If Cold had remained in this state or even his first transformed state, I think Videl would have a good chance."  
"Right. Initially, she was stronger than him," Tien added. "But once Cold transforms, Videl will lose her advantage..."  
"I'm sure she won't put herself in any unneeded risk," Trunks stated, standing beside the inseparable trio. They all were hoping Cold would stay in his first transformed state or even in the second one.  
"She knows that this is not a game and she can be killed?" Kulilin sarcastically remarked.  
"She is well aware of that, but you know that sometimes she can be a bit stubborn. I know she's out matched, but she still has the sword. If she can get a good swing at him she might still have a chance, slim as it may be."  
"It's possible," Kulilin answered. "I just hope he doesn't go directly into his original form..."  
In the ring, Cold continued his transformation.As he transformed, Cold became not just increasingly stronger but visibly larger. His arm and leg muscles thickened. But that was only the beginning of his transformation. His lips began to enlarge as his entire face stretched forward. His head became elongated, while his horns moved and changed color. His cape flew in the turbulent aura that surrounded the King of the Frost Demons. His armor, which had begun to crack, started falling apart. It was pierced by four enormous spikes: the two largest pushing upwards from his shoulder blades, the other two just below and directed downwards. Tapered, solid horns protruded from Cold's natural schynbalds and vambraces, as his shoulder pads fell away to reveal his milky-white body. His nose disappeared, merging into his larger upper lip. The king's abdominal expansion shattered the armor, which fell to the ground in pieces as the aura that surrounded him subsided. Finally, the ring stopped shaking.  
Cold opened his eyes and smiled. He laughed. It was finished. Before Videl stood a whole new opponent, one much stronger and faster. She would have to be careful just to survive.  
"Ah, that's much better," Cold said, revealing his voice had also changed.  
'So...at last, Father decides to drop his restricted-power form!' thought Coola. 'It's been decades since he was last in the third stage. If he and Freeza follow my example, they'll surpass me for sure...with my augmented transformation I was the strongest, but that won't be the case anymore!"  
In space 12, Trunks was talking to #16:  
"Say, if I had let him transform back then, the fight wouldn't have been so simple!"  
"H-he is so much stronger than before!" said a shocked Freeza, standing next to his brother.  
"It's unfathomable. Even in his first form restriction, he is beyond me", added Coola in surprise.  
"Now things really heat up," Gohan said, slightly shaking his fists. He hoped that Videl could still end it, and fast.  
Videl attacked first, using her Kaioken. She extended her left arm and opened her palm towards her opponent, then fired several bursts of glowing energy balls, which crashed into the well-prepared demon. Those that did not hit him exploded in the ring around him. Taking advantage of the rising dust, both fighters attacked. Videl swung her sword at her opponent with superhuman strength, but Cold avoided it by jumping, not out of anticipation but by sheer luck; she had sought to surprise Cold by flying up to attack from the air.  
The sword caught him completely unprepared. Upon hearing the shock-waves of the sharp weapon rebound against the ring, his reflex reaction was to avoid it by bowing to the ground. Videl back-flipped away from the demon and was ready to launch new energy bursts. She stared at the cloud of dust without blinking. Finally, she saw the top the monster's skull emerging from the white smoke. She swung her sword at him a dozen times, then continued while flying, gaining height. But Cold remained in his place and dodged all of her attacks. Then suddenly, Videl threw herself behind Cold and launched energy attacks. The demon was undamaged and swung his fist to deliver a crushing blow to his opponent.  
The Earthling held both hands forward to meet his punch, catching his fist, which alone was the size of both of hers combined. Taking advantage of the kinetic effect, she slid her legs in front of her to put her foot on the ring as soon as possible. Then she grabbed the sword just as quickly. Gritting her teeth, she attacked Cold from below, the Frost Demon still unaware of her craftiness or skill-full tactics.  
The timing had to be precise. If she attacked too late, he would counter. If she attacked too early, it would scratch him at best, and miss and worst. The one detail she had forgotten, however, was the smokescreen caused by the explosion of attacks. Spinning with the sword in hand, she found her eyes suddenly pricked by dust, bringing a hesitant uncertainty about her move. Blindly, she swung the sword horizontally. But it hit something!  
She didn't wait to assess the damage; it was best to gain some distance while she waited for her eyesight to recover. When she could see again, Cold was standing, in one piece, and in perfect condition.  
"A smart little one... I admit that I did not expect such flexibility. I should have been wary of your sword too," said the demon, approaching the young woman. "I still have to congratulate you; you are the first to have even scratched me in a very long time. On the other hand, slashing my toe wasn't very useful, was it?"  
'He's not worried about me,' she thought. 'But at least he's allowed me to confirm my hypothesis: I can definitely cut him with this sword!'  
This thought comforted the fighter, who stood ready for a new assault.  
"Enough playing around. She deserves to be taught a lesson," said Cold.  
This time, Cold charged first, screaming. He tried punch the woman with his right first, but she jumped over and started a vertical stroke with her sword to cut Cold in half. At least that was what she wanted him to believe, from her position! Cold, being the great fighter he was, saw this trick coming when he noticed Videl subtly changing her grip on the sword. He stooped immediately, avoiding a sudden horizontal strike: phew! If he had been wrong, he would have been cut into two!  
Spending no time for further thought, Cold attacked again with his right fist, a fast and powerful blow that Videl narrowly avoided by stepping back a few inches. Cold's left fist connected with her face.  
The frail woman seemed to fly as easily as a kickball. The sound from the impact rang two seconds, and when Videl regained consciousness, she stood to her feet again.  
"Damn, what a blow! I'm not gonna be able to hold out long unless I crank up the power! Now it'll really become a race against the clock!"  
She heard Cold scream once more. He had jumped up towards her from the ring. Videl broke his upwards "fall" and gripped her sword with her left hand. She concentrated and shouted:  
"Kaioken next level!"  
Cold laughed when he came close to the fighter from universe 9. With her new power she was faster and more versatile; she swung the sword again to try to slash her opponent upwards. But he managed to stop himself just in front of the swipe, the blade nearly reaching his raised chin! So fast! He was both really strong and a true tactician; he knew the sword was heavy and that with the strength she had used to swing she would be helplessly pulled backwards by the momentum. Videl was now a prime target! He attacked with his fist, her face so close that it was almost too easy!  
Cold had time to see the unwavering determination of the warrior. She did not acknowledge defeat. She took advantage of the weight of the sword, spinning herself back faster and just narrowly avoiding the punch. She concluded by flanking the demon's stomach with both feet. She was much more powerful than Cold imagined. The first few clashes between them had not been indicative of her true power.  
Cold lost a little ground as he let out a surprised gasp. Videl attacked without sparing a single moment for rest: she tried to cut him, violently swinging the Z sword, each time a little closer to the goal. She was both strong and fast, and Cold could not risk attempting to parry the blade with his arm.  
In Universe 1, the gods were commenting on the fight.  
"It appears as if she is finally fighting with her maximum power," said the East Kaioshin.  
"She's running out of breath quickly as the fight drags on," added the South Kaioshin. He continued. "This Videl is clearly weaker than a Kaioshin, yet somehow she was able to remove the sword."  
"We all tried to remove it, in vain of course," the North Kaioshin pointed out. "But this confirms my previous hypothesis. I have always theorized that the Z-sword was specifically protected against being wielded or removed by a Kaioshin. Perhaps it was intentional, that the sword would only name a hero from the lower realms."  
"So who is she then, this hero?" asked the West Kaioshin. "We must go and talk with her afterwards. I for one am very curious regarding how she came to possess the blade."  
Not far from the gods, in the space for universe 3, the warrior Tapion had heard everything. He had noticed that this sword gave off a special aura, a heroic aura. This was consistent with the various statements of the gods. He told this to his old friend Dr. Raichi. He was keeper of a vast amount of knowledge, but this particularly mystery was one he seemed uninterested in. The pointy-eared fighter, who had still not stepped into the daylight, expressed a similar sentiment. He seemed barely aware the tournament was even taking place. Tapion hadn't even learned his name.  
No matter, he was not going to fight him. Raichi, however, could potentially meet him in the next match. But Tapion was waiting eagerly for his own match!  
The fight continued on the ring. Cold had taken the bull by the horns and was attacking every now and then. Videl managed to maintain a distance, using the sword to keep him on edge at all times. On the other hand, to lose would be a different story.

In the space of Universe 16, Videl was in deep thought. She had never been able to be as strong as the other fighters. And at that moment she regretted it. If she had been stronger, perhaps she would have had the guts to intervene and save her daughter... If she were serious, and had followed the same training as her daughter...perhaps things could have ended differently? If that day when she, for once, decided to follow Pan to train with Vegetto and Bra, she had been serious, everything might have changed. If she had flown with all of her heart when Vegetto instructed his students to fly around the planet. If only...  
A tear rolled down the cheek of a mother who had lost her daughter, who blamed herself for not being strong enough. Gohan put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, while continuing to follow the fight of his wife from an alternative universe.  
"Nice stamina!" said Kulilin from universe 9. "She really has improved, but I didn't know it would be this much. I certainly wouldn't have lasted this long against King Cold. Well, either him or the exhaustion from the use of Kaioken intensively and continuously would have gotten me. But she's keeping the demon at a distance despite the weight of the sword."  
"That's our little Videl," Yamcha said, who smiled with proud at her progress. She was sort of the darling of the new generation, the most promising.  
"Surely the sword mustn't weight too much more than your shell, Master Kulilin," Trunks intervened to defend his girlfriend. "If, at your age, you're able to tote that thing around, it makes sense that she should be able to do at least the same."  
"You see, my former pupil, I'm just really impressed," Kulilin replied. "I'm just not sure I would have lasted this long."  
"As usual, you underestimate yourself," replied Trunks.  
Kulilin smiled and ended it at that. What mattered now was Videl's fight.  
She had apparently cornered the demon and used the opportunity for a full power slice! It was a sharp swing from top to bottom that just barely missed the target! The sword dug into the ring. Cold had engineered it all; he had dodged the blow but waited until the last instant. Videl had seen it all, realized it too late, and could do nothing; if she let go of the sword in order to dodge the next blow, Cold would never let her recover her weapon. Worse still, he might take it for himself! Videl preferred to just take the hit while keeping the sword.  
But that's not what happened. Cold had a different plan. The sword bothered him for two reasons: first, for the reach it offered to his opponent, making it tricky for him to get close. Then, for the potential danger of the blade. She had managed to scratch him when he was in first form of restriction. His conclusion: he had to get rid of the sword. No better way to do that than to break it!  
He punched it with all his might. To the surprise, not just of Videl from universe 9, but also of the gods of the universe 1, the sword broke. The long piece flew who knows where and the other remained in the shocked Videl's hand. In space 18, Son Goku could not help but smile. He knew what was coming. Vegetto, in space 16, knew it too. For the warrior of universe 9, the fight would take a really hard turn.  
The sword was broken. Videl had lost the most powerful weapon in the universe, the only thing that could destroy her opponent in a single blow, and the only thing that allowed her to defeat an enemy stronger than herself.  
Because that’s what Cold was: stronger than she could ever be.  
Taking advantage of her surprise, the king launched a quick and powerful attack with his tail, landing it flush on her face. Videl flew several meters, unable to defend or recover all that quickly. She fell to the ground, dropping the hilt of her broken sword. She finally reacted when Cold charged again. She avoided a kick to her head that would have crushed her skull, and made several gymnastic maneuvers to get away and recover a defensive position.  
Without her sword, Videl's strategy would need great revisions... Cold rushed at his opponent again, laughing. Neither noticed yet that just a few meters away, someone has suddenly appeared in the ring.  
He was old, terribly old. Even he could not say precisely how old he was. His body was wrinkled, his face a bit distorted, the result of the merger of an unwilling god, and an ugly witch with extraordinary magical powers. He wore the same outfit as the Kaioshins of Universe 1. He was one of the gods, and the gods who had organized the tournament did not fail to notice this.  
“A Kaioshin!” exclaimed the largest of the five gods.  
“Where did he come from?” said the youngest, East Kaioshin.  
“Is he from Universe 9? Will he help the young fighter?”  
While the gods wondered, Videl and Cold continued their melee. Videl dodged everything. Without the Z-Sword, she was a bit faster, and could occasionally react faster than the demon. Her power level was still smaller than his though, and she was smaller and less durable. She tried in vain to find a way to take control of the fight.  
On the other side of the ring, the former Grand Kaioshin rejoiced:  
“At last... They sure took their time to free me! Millions of years stuck in a rock is bad enough, but those years in the hands of these idiots, unable to understand the need to break the sword instead of using it as a sword! It was a nightmare. I saw all, heard all, and had to simply hope that somebody would eventually make a mistake and break the weapon on accident...”  
He walked a few steps to observe the fight with his own eyes. They seemed to be engrossed in the fight...  
“Nobody pays any attention to me...” he thought.  
He stared into Space 1. They were all there. Four Kaioshins and the Grand Kaioshin.

Suddenly Cold managed to knock Videl down a few meters from the god who had sprung from the sword. He threw a punch at her while she was still on her back, and she barely managed to block it with both hands. The shock was incredible and she sank into the ring due to the impact. Employing once again her flexibility and responsiveness, she sprang to her feet and launched a ball of energy at the head of the smiling demon. After the smoke had cleared he still wore that smile on his face, while Videl was looking increasingly scratched and banged up. Exhausted, she relaxed out of her kaioken.  
“You’re stubborn young lady...but unfortunately this fight is beginning to bore me...”  
“He's almost completely untouched, and still not at his maximum... I have no chance...”  
Suddenly, Videl finally noticed the old Kaioshin who had just leaned in towards her, or rather, towards her chest. She didn’t have time to worry about that:  
“... And where do you even come from!?”  
“At last!” said the old Kaio Shin, raising his eyes to face the girl. “From the Sword of course!!”  
Oh yeah, it was so obvious!  
The Vargas in the control center were busy. They had spotted the Kaioshin earlier, and sought to find from whence he came. Initially, they thought someone in the universe had come to help the combatant, but that would be cheating.  
“I can confirm, his presence emanated from the broken sword,” a Varga unveiled after carefully perusing the data and scanning the ring slowly to find the point of origin.  
“Good. So he can participate as an ally to the fighter from Universe 9.”  
Cold was tired of being in the ring. The fight had lasted long enough, and he had already had his fun. Now, he had to fight a visibly old man who had come out of nowhere as well. That was enough. An evil aura surrounded him.  
“I shouldn’t have wasted time in an intermediate transformation! I’ll finish you both in my original form!!”  
The other fighters from Universe 8 were stunned!  
“I’ve never seen dad in his original form, other than in picture!” stated Freeza, not believing that what he was witnessing was real.  
“I did, when he was carrying you,” informed Cooler. “He had so little control of himself that the entire planet was destroyed while you were born!”  
“What?”  
Freeza really could not believe it. He was quite controlled in his original form... but if his father could not control it, to the point that it destroyed planets, what would happen? Why transform into it? It could put the entire arena in danger...  
“I’m screwed!” said Videl, vexed. “I had a slight chance to defeat him in this mammoth form, a small chance even as it was, but if he transforms again it will be simply impossible...”  
“Not at all, little miss! I can raise your power. You’ll become way stronger than your ridiculous opponent...”  
“Ridiculous opponent?” thought Videl before saying:  
“Really!? You can do that?!”  
“Of course! But only if you accept to...” began the old man with a perverse smile. He had a strange idea in mind!  
“I accept!!” immediately shouted Videl, who would do anything to be able to defeat her opponent, not even measuring the scope of his words.  
“Well, then do not move. The first part is very important.”  
She stood facing him, while the former Kaioshin began to dance around Videl...  
“What, a dance, really?” thought Videl, not believer her eyes. Still she remained motionless: it was her only chance!  
Cold began his transformation. A purple aura surrounded him, and his body began to shine. Soon, out of sheer will he started to change his height and thickness.  
In Universe 1, the North Kaioshin, the oldest among them, clasped his hands together. He understood everything. This Kaioshin had the appearance of an old man, the unusual magical powers...  
“Of course! He must be the great Kaioshin from long ago! He disappeared at about the same time the legend of the Z-Sword began... It all fits! We should break ours immediately and free him in our own universe!”  
“Break it?” said the East Kaioshin. "But, we can't even remove it. Should we invite someone from below, some powerful mortal, to obtain it? You said...”  
“No, to break it will be very easy,” said South Kaioshin. “The force used by Cold to break it is nowhere near mine. I had already raised the weapon, before you joined us.”  
“You removed the sword?” East Kaioshin was surprised. “I had no idea!”  
“Not removed, raised. I tried, like the others, but while I pulled it the entire mountain followed... So I stopped, I thought the sword would not accept me. As stated by our North Kaio Shin, the sword probably has an anti-Kaioshin charm upon it, to call up a hero from the lower realm.”  
“That is why the sword is at the top of a stone column,” said West Kaioshin. “For us to remove it we would totally destroy the landscape!”  
“Anyway, all that to say that the legend has been distorted over time, obviously. The secret of the sword is that it has the ancient Kaioshin trapped inside."  
Beside him, the other Kaioshins nodded. Meanwhile, Cold was finishing his transformation, and his aura exploded. They only had a few seconds left.  
“Is it going to be long? Cold will be ready soon!!”  
“Oh, for your potential? I’d say about ten hours.”  
“Ten...hours?” Videl said in a small voice, disgruntled and discouraged.

The smoke around Cold faded to reveal his new, original body. This was a body that he had not worn in years. He looked much more human now. The bulkiness of his former transformation was gone. The only differences between him and his sons were the horns on his wrist and ankle cuffs. The shoulder plates had disappeared along with the huge horns on his back, and his shoulders now reflected light like crystals. His face was recognizable again, much more similar to his second form. He had recovered his nose, and although he was not as hideous as his former transformation, he certainly looked more evil.  
It was clear that he did not want to play around at all!  
“Come. Attack me both together...”  
Videl hesitated... Trunks looked down, hoping she would give up. Everyone knew she could not harm him now. The Gohans from Universe 16 and 18 were recalling their wives fights against Spopovich... They had almost lost control of themselves, enraged at the one who abused Videl. This time it was even more dangerous... They had to be ready to intervene.  
The old Kaioshin continued his little dance around Videl as if nothing had happened, while she contemplated one last ditch effort.  
“I have something for you,” she said to the demon. “Lets see if you can catch it!” She hoped that she could taunt the demon into not avoiding her attack.  
Cold feared nothing, he was completely sure of his victory. He stood ready and waiting. Videl changed her posture. Right leg forward, knees bent, right hand just above the left, and both hands together at her left side. Her red kaioken aura flared stronger than ever.  
“What is she doing?” asked Trunks in the Universe 9 space.  
“She’s using up all of her strength...it’s dangerous,” commented Tien.  
Videl was ready. She could only use kaioken at it’s maximum for a few seconds, which would be just enough time to launch her attack. Her muscles thickened, which usually made her feel less feminine, but at this moment she didn’t care one bit. She took a deep breath, then shouted:

“Ka...”  
“This is...” both Gohans were surprised.  
“Me...”  
“Mom, do you know how to do that?” asked Pan of her real mother, who shook her head in response.  
“Ha...”  
A light appeared between the palms of Videl. Cold prepared for the energy attack.  
“Me...”  
“Stop moving or it’ll never work!” declared the old Kaioshin.  
This was the conclusion, the final battle. An incredible sight for thousands upon thousands of people in the stands. Videl was proud of herself, and happy to have been able to fight such a monster. She smiled as she focused the last bit of energy...then swung the wave at her opponent.  
“Ha!”  
The Kamehameha flew quickly toward Cold, who held out both arms to counter the blue beam that was shrouded with a reddish aura. The impact pushed him back several meters, leaving a mark on the ring, then there was a violent explosion.  
Videl fell to her knees, exhausted. She breathed deeply as the god approached her. When the smoke began to clear, she rose to her feet.  
Cold appeared completely unharmed.  
“It was really useless...” thought the human before declaring:  
“We quit.”  
“What?! Why?” asked the the old Kaioshin, “I assure you that you can beat him! His new, final, form really is something... but with your new power you will defeat him!”  
“You just said it would take hours and hours!” exclaimed Videl.  
“You just have to be a little patient!!”  
Cold watched the human for a few seconds, then walked off towards his space. Before flying off, he looked at his hand. It was not injured, but it was tingling. He knew she could never defeat him, and was surprised that she could even cause his hand to tingle. This fight was actually interesting.  
In the space of Universe 18, Gohan and Piccolo talked, while continuing to look at Videl who had remained in the ring even after the reconstruction had begun to talk to the old god.  
“If I can trust my memory...neither Future Trunks nor Goku would have been able to beat Cold if he had this form when he attacked the Earth.”  
“He is much stronger than his sons now...” concluded Gohan.  
In the Universe 8 space, Cold had returned and was standing before his two sons. He was at least a foot taller than Coola...and Coola was already thirty inches taller than Frieza. The latter thought that his original form would be smaller than his second form like himself... boy was he wrong!  
“Dad...can you control yourself in this form?” asked Cooler.  
“Surprised? You both managed to learn how.”  
The two young frost demons stood in a stupor regarding Cold. Their father was now much stronger than either of them, far and away the most powerful in their universe. Coola had been training his art of combat and mastery of his body for decades. Trying to overcome the other two members of his family took every bit of effort he had.  
In the end, his work had somewhat paid off: Coola stayed in his original form day and night, but still could not beat Freeza’s ridiculous power. He was, however, stronger than his father in his second reduction form. Still, Coola knew that his father could still catch up easily, as he was hundreds of years ahead of him.  
Then one day, Coola invented a new form. He was the first of his kind to achieve it, as neither his father or brother had ever seen it. It was a form of increase, beyond the original state.  
This meant that if he had betrayed his father, before the king learned to control his greater forms, Coola would have been able to overwhelm him.  
After his brother had his troubles with the sacred Saiyan or something like that, he had a change in his demeanor. Freeza sought to control his original form, and succeeded. This did not worry Coola, as the laziness of his brother would prevent him from finding the form of increase. It was just a matter of time before Coola become known as the most powerful member of his family.  
But for Cold, his father, to master his original form? What bad news! He had not been able to stay in this form for hundreds of years without destroying everything around him. This was a fact that Coola, and only Coola, could bear testament to: the horrifying, uncontrollable power. When Cold had Freeza in his stomach, he reduced the empty planet chosen for delivery to what looked to be a military testing ground. Craters, new volcanoes, and oceanic faults were created daily.  
And now he was wearing this form as if it was nothing! He had trained in secret to get there. The fiend!  
Videl finally picked up the broken pieces of her sword and helped the Kaioshin to their space. He was a strange character, but he was still a god.

“Well, well... I have a guest. He offered to increase my strength to help me beat Cold, but said it would take hours...”  
Tien saluted respectfully, clasping his hands together and bowing slightly.  
“Welcome, master Kaioshin.”  
“Hi there, gramps!” said Yamcha.  
Krillin said nothing, but nodded when their eyes met, and he stepped forward to congratulate his student.  
“You were perfect. It’s a shame that you drew him in the first round.”  
“Don’t say that, I was delighted to fight him! I had fun and got beaten thoroughly. And now I’m exhausted!”  
“Bravo, Videl!” Trunks congratulated her as he stood next to the bearded dwarf. “You proved once again that you’re stronger than me!”  
Videl smiled and sat down on a bench. Suddenly, she felt the repercussions of using such an extreme kaioken. Trunks helped her massage her aching muscles. Bulma didn’t just stand around doing nothing either.  
“Come inside, we’ll take care of you. I’ll make you something to drink.”  
“Thank you, Bulma,” replied Videl as she was escorted by Trunks back to the apartments.  
Behind them, Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha found themselves alone with the old Kaioshin. They wanted to talk to him...they had so many questions! They would talk about Cold later, because each knew that he was more powerful than anything they had encountered in their world, and it made them a bit afraid.  
“How long were you locked in the sword?” asked Tien.  
“I stopped counting the years...millions of years for sure.”  
“Who imprisoned you?” Yamcha asked. “Was there an entity even higher than you?”  
“No, an old enemy imprisoned me while I was fighting. It was a terrible curse. There was only one way to escape, and that was the break the sword. I waited longer than you could know.”  
“We didn’t know...” intervened Krillin. “But you could see?”  
“Yes. When someone grabs the sword, I can “see” what is happening around it. So no need to tell me about this tournament, I already know what’s worth knowing. I must go and talk to the members of Universe 1.”  
“Videl said you would increase her strength,” Yamcha interrupted. “How?”  
“It’s a secret. A technique that only I know. I can reveal the full potential of a warrior and even beyond.”  
“Would she really have had a chance to defeat Cold with this “potential” revealed?” Yamcha continued, quite interested.  
“I’m not certain, but I think so. In any case, she would be as strong as when she uses the kaioken technique. Without fatigue, she would be very formidable. But don’t think I’m doing it for free.”  
“What do we need to do?” asked Krillin.  
The old Kaioshin smiled and laughed stupidly. What was he thinking now? Videl had accepted without even knowing what it was. If she learned, perhaps she would rather simply not have him fully reveal her potential...  
The ring was rebuilt. The next fight could now be announced. The advertiser Varga read the names of the two fighters, fighting out of their respective universes. The Varga activated his microphone and made the call:  
"New fight, Baddack of universe 3 against Raditz of universe 13!"  
In space 3, Raichi was unquestionably stunned. Baddack, here in his universe?  
"What?" He said, turning towards the entrance to the inner apartments.  
Tapion also turned around:  
"Ah, so that's your name sir?" He asked the man, who for the majority of the tournament, stood hiding in the shadows.  
"No." He simply answered.  
Next to the unknown, someone walked by. The first looked at him, but the second looked straight ahead. He left without carrying a glance to the other combatants of his universe, stopped in the medium and looked towards the ring.  
The Baddack from universe 3 was very different from that of the universe 10. He wore armour which resembled tremendously the latest models of those of Freeza's army, with one slight difference, in that it had two small square shoulder pads, as though they had cut down, dead long yellow extensions of the classic Saiyan armour. Here and there, it was cracked, testifying numerous hard battles Baddack had led. Under the armour, he carried a simple black T-shirt, as well as black trousers. He had white boots that contrasted with all the black he wore. On his right wrist, there had been a wide bracelet of identical fabric. an everyday reminder of his child, Son Goku. Baddack had bandaged his left forearm. It was a mark from an injury, or style, or symbol of something? Only he knew. Around his head, there was a symbol: a Ribbon that came from his best friend who died years earlier... On the left cheek, the warrior had a long scar, another witness of his full life of fighting. His gaze was hard and intense, he was there for one reason, one goal, one which he kept it in mind, without getting distracted.  
Raichi, very close to him, was terribly irate, flared by the sudden appearance of a Saiyan, and perhaps even the worst of them! Pointing his index finger at him, he shouted:  
"You! What do you expect!? Revenge!? Let me laugh! I'll slaughter you and eliminate you!!"  
In the Varga command center, where they could hear what was being said, every Varga in the room questioned:  
"Why is he surprised? Didn't they come together?"  
Another Varga, who had heard of this universe by another, who knew a friend to his uncle, who was part of the expedition bringing the universe 3, replied:  
"Yes and no. We found Baddack first and he asked us to keep his presence a secret. So we hid him somewhere and didn't tell the other three."  
"Ah good... And you didn't think that their inevitable meeting would cause problems?"  
"Precisely! It's what makes it interesting!"  
"Right... I only hope that they won't be a fight between them out of the ring... We have separate apartments for them, then?"  
"Of course. Their corridor has four doors, each one gives access to a smaller apartment."  
Back in the space of universe 3, Baddack decided to meet with his arch-nemesis:  
"That is not going to happen, weak excuse for a Tsuful."  
Turning to face Raichi, he continued:  
"I saw your future... And I know who you'll lose to."  
Raichi clenched his teeth, supporting a look as bad as Baddack's.  
'My future? How absurd! I won't lose, not against you, nor against anyone else!'  
Baddack flew out to the ring. Some spaces away, in space 13, Raditz had prepared. He was undoubtedly surprised to see Dr. Raichi in the presence of his father in this universe. Hours earlier, he had been seen across the universe 10, telling him about his predictions. It had made him good, he had to confess. And to think that he had the opportunity to do it again!  
"I hope that you will fight seriously, even if it is your father."  
"My father, is also yours, idiot!" retorted Raditz, looking at Kakarotto.  
"Oh? Yeah, so what?"  
Certainly, Kakarotto was laughing madly... But not him. He would show him that he was no longer the weak child he was at the time! Raditz flew up to, and finally set foot on the ring five or six feet away from his father.

"Hello, my son. as luck would have it, it seems." But this sentence from Baddack wasn't punctuated with any feeling, and it seemed clear that his son of another universe, was no one special to him.  
"Hello, my father. It's a pleasure to see you again for a fight."  
"In my universe, we used to call you weakling Raditz, and you died at the first opportunity."  
'Tsk, he dares talk about this directly?' thought Raditz, already upset.  
"You're the same as in my universe, a failed father! Proud to be born lower class and having reached the elite, still you had only disgust for your two sons! I was weak only because of you, scum!"  
Bardock was not really surprised by these words... He let his son continue:  
"I hate you, and today I can take my revenge!"  
Raditz could boast. In his universe, like many others, the last Saiyan's, driven by his brother, had become thousands of times more powerful than what was considered as an elite. His father, who had pushed himself for his whole life to reach the average of the elite, was pathetic in comparison. He decided to take points as of reference that he was sure they understand: Freeza's army. Although reduced to nothing in most of the participants universe, he had understood that the latter was still present fifty years ago in most of them.  
But as Raditz knew he was inferior to that of Freeza in final form, he avoided lying, and sought the men who were much weaker.  
"My power is way better than Freeza's eite and Ginyu's squad. I can squash you with one finger!" He shouted before correcting himself. "But I am going to take time..."  
"Oh yeah? Only that? Too bad..." replied a smiling Baddack.  
Indeed, the power level of the Ginyu commando was insignificant to his own. Clenching his fists, he transformed... His hair became golden-yellow, a light aura surrounded him, and his eye colour became turquoise.  
"Oh fuck..." said Raditz, disgusted. "That's so unfair."  
Raditz was disappointed. He wanted to humiliate him as the little girl did to the other Baddack. He hadn't thought that this old man could be achieve that state, and what pushed him to it? He was too stupid to achieve the state of Super Saiyan, he was persuaded. Was this Baddack so much different from the rest?  
"I was certainly a lousy father..." Baddack began recalling the past, the same time as his son...

57 Years Earlier... On Planet Vegeta.  
The place resembled a schoolyard or a playground for children. Small Saiyan's dressed casually and aged between five and eight years old spent their energy. To do this, there was no game or construction, because these objects were always irreparably destroyed very quickly. In the end, the only thing that was resistant to the fist of a Saiyan, was another Saiyan. Therefore left to run after each other, and slugging it out, and for some, trying to learn how to fly alone, jumping as high as possible, hundreds of meters in height, was easy, and they avoided crashing brutally on the ground, which was even easier. Using their powerful instinctive traditions that have always governed the animal Kingdom, groups were also formed around a leader, and seldomly, around a scapegoat.  
This was the case for this small group. Several Saiyans children were singing a wicked jingle to laugh at their comrade. They were four around their victim, who had originally long hair.

"My Dad is Baddack the strong, I'm weakling Raditz!" the children chanted to irritate their comrade.  
"Shut up! I am not a weakling!" retorted a pissed Raditz, simultaneously clenching his fists and teeth.  
"You're so weak, you can't be a Saiyan!" one of the kids shouted.  
"Your mother must be from another planet!" added another before laughing.  
"A low-life whose population was eradicated!" continued a third.  
"My Mother is an Saiyan elite warrior!" said Raditz, who said the strict truth: his mother was at the top of the elite, the pride of the saiyans.  
"I know! Your Father's not Baddack either. You must have been ound on a low-life planet."  
"Your parents were both insects of something."  
It was too much. He needed to silence these stupid children who made fun of him! He attacked the nearest:  
"I'm not an insect!!" he cried, his fist raised.  
He put at it all his aggressiveness, all his force. His adversary, however, dodged it easily, and a violent blow of elbow to the face caused Raditz to fall to the ground. He didn't stop there: He placed his knee on the middle of Raditz's back, grabbed his right arm then brought it towards him. Raditz howled in pain.  
"Yeah, go for it!" shouted an another kid,encouraging him to bite the dust with weakling Raditz.  
The one who held him down, not content with holding Raditz to the ground, taunted him with his tail, whipping his face with it. Raditz took advantage of this, catching then shaking the tail with his free hand, he bit down on it. The brat lost all of his strength as he screamed in pain.  
“Let go! Let go, I said!” shouted down the kid while kicking Raditz’s face several times, while Raditz didn't want let go.  
“I'llwn kill nwou!”  
Raditz straightened, continued to bite his prey, and used his feet to hit the child who lost all means of counterattack. Others shouted encouragement, to Raditz. They were changing quickly camp. In fact, it’s what they wanted, it was a fight.  
“I'llwn kill nwou!”  
“Ow! It's I who'll kill you!”  
“No killing while in recess, kids.” simply said an adult, completely disinterested while reading a small newspaper, sitting on a bench several metres away. The monitoring of these unbearable kids made the officials quite jaded. And then a bit of violence, it didn't hurt anybody.  
This was the first victory of Raditz’s life. In addition, against Brasca, who was known for not being half bad of a Brawler! He continued to hold the tail for several more minutes before dropping it. When he let go, Brasca stood up again with some difficulty, and Raditz turned his back to him, leaving with dignity, while the behind him audience laughed.  
He thought that it was finished, that he had taught him a lesson, however, Brasca was not going to accept such humiliation.  
“I... Will kill you!” cried Brasca, quickly dashing toward Raditz.  
He reacted rapidly, countering the attacks, parrying them and then making a counter-attacks. He had the advantage: he had taken an elbow, but only felt a small pain in the right arm and in the middle of the back. But the other was thoroughly beaten into the ground. He still managed, nevertheless, to deal critical blows to Raditz-the-weakling. However, the latter ended up winning the fight more fairly, knocking out his opponent. Proud of this, he ran to find his father to tell him the good news!  
Baddack, the Father of Raditz, was preparing in the other room for a mission. He was dressed in his usual black and green combat armor when Raditz shouting:  
“Hey Dad! Hey Dad, I've beaten Brasca! I beat him to a pulp!” he said, holding a clenched fist in front of him as a sign of triumph, and, despite his dismal state, with traces of blood clearly visible all over his body.  
Bardock turned to Raditz and told him:  
“That's good. I have to go.”  
He made fun of him frantically. In addition, his son may have won but he had to see what state he was left in. Covered with injuries, and lacking a tooth! But it was no matter...  
“Your brother was just born,” he said while while heading in his direction, or rather towards the exit. “I’ll check on him.”  
“Oh cool. I’m coming.”  
After five or six minutes of walking in silence, to the chagrin of Raditz, who sought the recognition of his father for the battle he has won several minutes ago, they came to the room where about a dozen babies were stored in small incubators. Some were prepared to be sent to planets, while others were to stay and live their childhood on the planet Vegeta, as was the case of Raditz.  
Baddack headed for the incubator that was housing his newborn son. He looked at him for a moment. He was sleeping peacefully... for the moment. He supported a small button of his radar to her left eye to see his power.  
“He’s pathetic”  
He sighed slightly and turned around. Raditz quickly took his place to watch over his newly born brother.  
“Kakarotto! Hey, Kaka! I'm Raditz!”  
“Another weakling. It's another failure...” said Baddack gently.  
But Raditz had heard him... Once again, he was placed in the camp of the weak... Oh well, that didn’t matter, he had not yet explained to him in detail his victory over Brasca! It was going to change the mind!  
“Oh, you think so?” a woman’s voice was heard not far away.  
Raditz turned around slighty. It was his mother, Hanasia. She was a rather pretty woman. Her constant battles had not disfigured her, for the time being in any case. She sported long hair... For sure, she was the mother of Raditz, there was no doubt about it.  
“Scouters weren't here when we were born. Maybe you were a one unit just like him.” she said to Bardock, the father of her two children. “Numbers mean nothing.”  
Those words were pleased to Raditz. Seen him like that, she seemed tender with children. But in fact, she was none the less severe ... But all the same, she understood that he and his brother were maybe not as weak as Baddack saw. Touching her scouter with one finger, she looked at several other children’s power levels around her:  
“Look at these babies... three, five... Seven here. This one is 15! Do you really think he’ll become an elite? No way, sir. And this one is... Ten thousand?”  
The baby was inside the incubator next to Kakarotto. Was her scouter on the fritz?  
“Yeah. Very funny.” said Baddack thinking it to be a joke. A baby with ten thousand units, it was just impossible!  
A strange alien interrupted:  
“Sir Baddack? Miss Hanasia? Could you come this way, please?”  
The two parents of Raditz and Kakarotto looked at eachother, then approached the alien with the pointed ears.  
“We have instructions from Lord Freeza regarding your sons.” He told them. “Athough their power levels are very weak, he agrees to give them a chance and send them to a mission. Raditz will go on training, and Kakarotto will attack a weak planet.”  
“I’m yar big bro.” said Raditz to the infant Kakarotto, to avoid hearing one more time that he was weak. “You'll have to do ev'rything I say!”  
In his heart, he secretly hoped that his little brother never exceeds him.  
“It's a small planet, many full moons per year, one-tenth of our gravity...” the alien continued to explain. “Average power level is 3.23. As you can see, he has every chance of...”  
“Don't worry about the baby.” Hanasia cut in, smiling and clenching her fists in front of her as if she planned it in advance. “He’ll transform this planet into deserted rock.” What is the highest power level on it?  
“We've seen some 150 to 200. But it's like 3 or 4 people. Normal elite is merely at 30 or 40.”  
“It will be easy for him. It's not like he'll encounter the strongest masters on his first day on the planet.” said the mother of Kakarotto looking to Baddack.  
“Whatever.” said the father of their two children, who seemed to be mainly focused on the exit.  
“I mean, what are the odds of that?” She continued to herself.  
Who would find Kakarotto some days later? Son Gohan, the strongest man on Earth (or not far)! If she only knew...  
“Alright then. Raditz leaves the day after tomorrow. Kakarotto will leave in 10 days.”  
“Perfect. I'll train my baby to kill. He will be ready.” said Hanasia, cracking her knuckles.  
“Yeah, play with your child. My unit waits for me, so bye-bye.” said Baddack heading toward the exit, showing absolutely no interest in the future of his two weak sons.  
Raditz left a few hours later... and without being able to have a longer chat with his father about his victory over Brasca, and more importantly, to prove that he wasn’t such a weakling. He left without saying goodbye, without so much as a glance. Nothing. In the universe 13 as in many others, Raditz never his parents again. But in universe 3 Baddack’s life changes its destiny...  
“Since my visions of the future I've changed a lot... I saw the error of my ways and how barbaric the Saiyan people were...” resumed Baddack after stopping to think about the past. “...But don't expect any excuses.”  
His look became much more serious:  
“You can give up if you want.”  
Raditz smiled. As if he was just going to give up like that, without even fighting, and especially to his father of all people. He looked up to the sky... until his pupils were barely visible to Baddack.  
“That won’t be... necessary!”  
A sound was heard, a small click. A sound Baddack heard from there where it was placed.  
“I just switch on a miniaturized lamp in each of my eyes...” explained his son.  
He smile broadly at his father, eyes open, his fist forward.  
“Raw light lamps! Of 17 megazenos!”  
Baddack eyes widened. If he understood this well enough like he thought he did, then was Raditz about to turn into an Oozaru?  
Raditz began his metamorphosis. His nose and mouth were lengthened towards the front, pushing his teeth, which became sharpened. He now had a big monster-like mouth. All over his body, long brown and black hair grew rapidly while his body grew and became more and more resistant. His armor easily adapted to this change of size, thanks to the wonderful material from which it was made. Finally, his hair lengthened even further to have the same proportion on his body as an Oozaru. An Oozaru with long hair, it was rather unusual!  
Raditz now stood facing his father, at at least six times his size, laughing for a few seconds.  
“No moon for you, neither to use it, or destroy it!” shouted Raditz to his father before laughing again.  
The fight between an Oozaru and a Super Saiyan was about to engage. The fight between a father and his son. A fight for a victory and recognition.

In the space 16, Vegetto suddenly thought about an old memorie... Something that had happened sixteen years earlier, when Bra was born. He raved for a few seconds, imagining a scene in which he found it funny, when he had asked Bulma to allow little Bra to keep her tail.  
He immediately imagined an Oozaru destroying a city, crushing Trunks with an enormous fist in which he would have screamed:  
“Father! My sister is bothering me!”  
There would have been a injured Piccolo, one arm torn off, emerging from a dreadful fight to curb the crazy animal, supported by Son Gohan, whom he would say:  
“Gohan... The Earth... You must save the Earth...”  
“But I can't hit my niece! She’s not even a month old! He retorted. “My niece? My sister? My half-sister? Hmm... I don’t know...”  
“Vegetto, do something!” cried the mother of the rampaging Oozaru.  
And the latter, caught between his rationality and paternal instincts of a Saiyan, as well as being simply amazed by the power of his child... Do something? But...  
“But ... looks like she's in shape!” He would reply, eventually subjugated by his adorable child, one who could destroy the world.  
While it is true that he would have liked to see her like this at least once more, he would only see it again in a dream, because he ended up removing the Saiyan tail quickly...

So like that, Raditz had found a way to turn into an Oozaru without a full moon, and without the long technique that a few Saiyans had already mastered? Baddack was surprised by so much ingenuity:  
“Moron, if you had this idea in our universe, we would have won against Raichi!” He shouted.  
In response, the long-haired Oozaru struck first, attempting to strike Baddack with his large left fist. He easily dodged it, however, by jumping high into the air. Down below, the surface of the ring broke under the powerful impact of Raditz. His father flew over to the left side, but he attacked the other hand, stopping Baddack from using his forearms. He was pushed a few meters but nothing that he couldn’t handle.  
He flew away immediately to gain more altitude in order to launch a Ki attack, aiming for his head. Raditz reacted like clockwork and grabbed the blast with his left hand, as if it were a small billiard ball he caught mid-flight. Despite the explosion, there was no damage, just a small tingle.  
“You're forgetting about the Oozaru's resistance!” cried the giant Raditz. “And about their power!!” he said, opening his mouth and shooting huge beam of energy straight toward Baddack.  
Both surprised and not worried at all, the last Saiyan of universe 3 made a brief movement on the side to avoid the attack. Raditz jumped in yelling, pouncing on his father who, in his left hand, made a ball of blue energy. He threw it at his son who narrowly protected his huge left forearm. An explosion ensued, and then while the thick grey smoke resulting from the blast evaporated, revealing the mouth of the Oozaru, Baddack took the time to taunt his son:

“Your new form lacks in speed!”  
All of a sudden, the Oozaru disappeared from the field of Baddack’s vision, only to reappear behind him.  
“Speed like this?” he asked.  
He didn’t wait to take advantage of his element of surprise. He struck his fist hard into the back of his father. The fist being larger that the entire body of the Saiyan, one could not speak about blow in the back…  
Anyway, he screamed in pain, and flew away over the whole arena. Raditz went on again by opening his mouth to shoot a beam of energy. Baddack couldn’t dodge it again and was struck in the back. The blow knocked him like a heavy stone on the ground where it crashed, while the radius continued its road straight for a moment again, blowing away a small mountain.  
Baddack found himself lying in the middle of a crater. He started to get up. He had several injuries, but his armor had stood firm, like him. He was still in his Super Saiyan state. But when he found himself standing, a headache took. He fell to his knees, touching his forehead and his head with his right hand, fingers spread. He opened his eyes wide, brows, and beats of sweat dropped from his forehead.

‘No!...not now!...This is not the time...’ he thought when the pain seemed to change. His vision darkened rapidly giving way to blurry shapes and colors against a background of vast emptiness and black, he distinguished between characters.

First was of a green alien, with a white cape, pointed ears and two kinds of antennas on his forehead. A Namek. He seemed serious and said:  
“It's not the Earth that is in danger...”

The image changed, rapidly giving way to a Saiyan who showed the greatest strength since the very beginning of the tournament. Baddack had no idea, because he remained in his private apartment since the fighting began, and purposely stayed away from the fights. The Saiyan who vaguely reminded him of Vegeta, had his right arm out to his side, after which his hands held another person, one with black hair and a white shirt... He seemed dead, eyes livid...  
“I'll kill you all if I have to!!” cried the aggressor, his arm covered in blood.  
Baddack didn’t happen to see the assistance in which he spoke. But it was other tournament participants, most seemed more or less Saiyans.

The same Namek...  
“It’s not the universe either.”

The next image was of a sixteen year old girl, no more, looking behind her, disdainful towards two Saiyans at first sight. One of them looked a lot like the former King Vegeta. The other was his son Kakarot!  
She finished obviously a judgemental tirade, according to criteria of her own. This was the conclusion:  
“Nobody can stop my father. Most certainly not you.” she said.  
The other two seemed to not agree, evident by being ready to do battle with her infamous father.

“It's ALL of the universes!” finished the Namek.

Raditz hurtled towards Baddack whom, strangely, had remained where he was for several seconds. He yelled and slammed his fist on the whole mountain where his father stood, who found himself now crushed between Raditz’s oversized palm, and the tip of mountain still standing.  
Baddack body seemed devoid of mind at that moment, Raditz could see his eyes that didn’t concern him. He stared into space, or rather, he looked as if he was blind.  
Despite the blow he took, Baddack continued to have visions.

An image of the guy he saw just before entering the ring, from the universe 4. All pink, he only had an upper body, the rest had turned into molasses that seemed to cover more ground. For a time, the vision showed the scene: it was simply the space of four fighter who, while he seemed to melt into the ground, shouted:  
“This masquerade ends now!!”  
Around him, one could vaguely see other attendees, mired in the pink molasses, panicking. Despite his strange location, he seemed to have the situation under control. This monster was going to put an end to the tournament?

Freeza was in a form he had ever seen before, but it was clearly him. It looked like Coola and Baddack knew that this family had several forms of demons. He was sitting in his throne flying inside his ship. Hands clasped at his mouth, elbows on the edge of his chair, he muttered:  
“Captain Ginyu...isn't dead then!!”

‘I don’t care about these people’ thought Baddack as he began to emerge from his incomprehensible visions that never seemed to end. He understood the concept of the multiverse, and laughed madly at all the people he could cross, whether another self, another Freeza, another alternative son, that is overpowered or always the weakling. He didn’t care, and the visions of the future irritated him.

Another vision, one with Kakarotto dressed in an orange gi, shaking hands with a small blue creature.  
“Pal!” he said to the other.  
“I'm sure we'll get along great!” said his son with a smile.

Again, a Namek, a different one this time. He seemed quiet, hand forward, fingers spread. He said:  
“Stop.”

Raditz was going to deliver a new punch to his father, who didn’t move when all of a sudden, he resumed consciousness. Reopening his eyes, he was freed by pushing off of the fist of Raditz, and flying away, while he saw his son destroy the mountain.  
Turning to Raditz, still flying in the same direction, Baddack focused energy in his right hand, creating a small spherevof energy. Gritting his teeth, he launched his attack. The radius, being more "electric" than usual, touched the Oozaru in his back. He screamed in pain, his hair already beginning to fry.  
But it wasn’t enough to overcome an Oozaru at such a level. Baddack rested on a sort of small cliff height, to take a little breath. Before him, just two hundred meters away, Raditz recovered, then glared at his father and rushed over toward him again, screaming. Each step the Oozaru took appeared to trigger an earthquake!  
The fighter from universe 3 reacted quickly, firing a burst of energy from his left hand. He went between the legs of the giant ape, in order to try and cut off his tail. Bad luck, he sprang toward him while preparing a new attack with energy spewing from his mouth. He pulled and destroyed the cliff Baddack managing to escape by flying up in the air. Once again, he launched the same attack as before, which made Baddack fly in the air in order to avoid it.

Baddack was a little tired, but the effect of his technique was certain. He continued to swing in on his alternative son several times who was downed. Several explosions followed, as did all the shots fly, and each of the Saiyans let out a cry of pain.  
Once the thick smoke dispersed, Baddack saw Raditz,,still on the ground, smoking here and there, bits of armor on the ground around him, particularly at the level of his right shoulder. The father ceased to be in Super Saiyan state and began to fly up to the arena, then into his universe 3 space, while the Varga announced the winner:  
“Baddack is the winner of this fight!”  
Victorious, he passed three metres from Dr. Raichi, who looked it eyes. He had the aggressiveness, it was certain. Both disgusted that he won, and happy: he could defeat him himself... in the fourth round... In the quarter-finals... But not before. Baddack returned indoors to have a well deserved rest.  
“Do you know each other? asked Tapion to Dr. Raichi.  
“He’s a Saiyan. I have to destroy him.” he simply replied without even looking at his interlocutor, who added no word.  
Outside the arena, Raditz was still in his Oozaru form. Kakarotto came to meet him, but only to taunt him, not help. He landed on the torso of his comrade, without discomfort.  
“Ah hah bravo, he fails to even pass the first round! Say, if you had come here just to be humiliated in front of a million people, you could stay behind. Ah, and then our father? And well, he’s not so bad actually. That I was wrong not to have known.”  
He smiled, it amused him that he lost in the very first. Oozaru-Raditz was found with a boot, pulverized by the attack of his father, and it wasn’t very cool to go back in his space with bare feet.  
“Shut up and push down my left eye.” said Raditz “I can’t turn it off.”  
Kakarot approached his eye and gave it a kick. Not strong enough to cause blindness, but not weak enough to cause him no discomfort. His eye returned to its place, a soft click was heard, and Raditz began to shrink back to his original size ... who now found himself crushed by Kakarot, still standing on him.  
Without finesse, they flew back toward their space quickly, taking support on the body of his brother, who felt pain in shock, but managed not to scream. He didn’t blame him for complaining. He sure could take a beating...  
Standing up, he thought about his father. Something had not been made clear to him, he had guessed it to be true. He was quick enough... So the first shots he had managed to flank had another cause...  
But then again, he wasn’t going to see him and discuss it: he didn’t care for him, as always. Nothing had changed... Again, Baddack, his father had taken him for a weakling while far beyond the Ginyu Force commandos, and perhaps even Freeza himself!  
Slowly, he flew to his space where prince Vegeta was waiting for him.  
This prince didn’t mock him. To be clear, Vegeta wasn’t expecting Raditz in this tournament. He was a pleasant and intelligent companion, but otherwise had never been used for much.  
Six spaces further, on the side of Son Goku, he compared this Baddack from universe 3, with one of the universe 10, with whom he had discussed less than two minutes ago. Without a shadow of a doubt, one was at least two hundred times stronger than the other. But not good... compared to him, one or the other, it was the same: they weren’t very strong.  
“Now, here is Akira Toriyama from Universe 2 against Raichi from Universe 3!” cried the announcer Varga into his microphone.  
“Ah,” said Raichi slowly.

Finally, it was his turn. He had hoped to fight against the Saiyans, but the forfeit of Universe 10 had disappointed him. Fortunately, only the worst of them had to fight. Now that they had forfeited, he would be able to eliminate them himself! He still had four fights. After his first victory, he would face the winner of the next fight. After that, tournament would be down to the final four -- from the first round, at least. Ideeally, he could fight Baddack after three victories. And if Baddack didn’t make it, Cold wouldn’t be too bad, he knew. After him, he would face the winner between one of the guys from Universe 19 (of whom Raichi had forgotten his name) and another female Saiyan, obviously, from Universe 16.  
Sitting on a strange raven-blue sphere, Raichi levitated towards the ring. His competitor still had yet to arrive. Glancing behind him, the old Tsuful saw him appear, coming out of the Second Universe’s corridor. He was rather small. The fighter, Akira Toriyama, did not seem to be taller than seventy centimeters. He wore a mask. Could it be that the air was bad for him? Raichi could find out for sure, by throwing it out of the ring... It was a way to win, just like any other. Apart from that, the diminutive man was dressed in a suit. What a strange outfit to use in battle...  
“It’s my turn...” said Akira.  
He surprised another small man (although he was still taller than Toriyama), who stood for a few minutes in front of the entrance. He looked no more aggressive, as he was dressed in striped trousers and a simple jacket. This man immediately recognized the fighter who had just made his appearance: the name had rung a bell....  
“But... aren’t you the author?” asked Senbei Norimaki, aka Dr. Slump, for confirmation.  
“Exactly! I have full control over my characters! I’m sure to win!” he proclaimed, raising his fist, or rather, his mechanical claw, in victory.  
“But... that’s cheating...” remarked the Doctor with the fine moustache.  
“You want me to make you tap dance?” threatened Mr. Toriyama, the eyes of his mask seeming to pull off a menacing look and aura.  
Senbei shook his head so quickly that he seemed to have more than one face.  
“But this Raichi guy... Is he really one of your characters?” asked Beelzebub as he approached, still remaining within a reasonable distance from the man. (He sure as hell didn’t want to tap dance!)  
Toriyama brought out several files and folders from a bag that he had brought with him. Inside, there were a whole bunch of images of characters, with information about them.  
Of course it’s me who... Wait...  
Toriyama had just looked through all the images of the characters, but still could not see one on Raichi. He looked at the ring again for Raichi’s head and rechecked his files at breakneck speed... to no avail.  
Nothing from any of his stories. He took out a scribbled list and laughed at the puns he had found for the names of his characters... but he still could not find what he was looking for. Yet the name was most definitely a pun— his opponent was called, in reality, “Lychee”, like the exotic fruit. He sorted through the “character designs”... No, not there, not here either... Dragon Quest, Tobal, Chrono Trigger...  
Well, you see, he was in a comic made by the fans of Dragon Ball, and the characters who had fought thus far had all come from Dragon Ball, in one way or another, save for Universe 2. But Raichi had come from Universe 3...  
“I don’t who are the idiots who made this comic, but the character comes from me, for sure! It must have been added to the cartoon version. Hold on...”  
He sorted through certain cell sheets, the original plastic transparent sheets by Toei Animation, which had immortalized his work, adding color, sound, movement, and slight delay... Ah, the list of bad movies. Tullece, Broly, Janemba, Android #13... Aha, found Baddack... But no, he couldn’t find Raichi. Let’s see... the derived products that were derived even further! There was an advertisement for eye drops, nothing. Documentaries for children, no. Not even in a game show about time-travel, either. The crossover with One Piece—ah, that was fun,— but nope. Not even in Dragon Ball GT, either.  
He lingered on a Tsuful named Baby, without knowing why. Master Toriyama had no idea that Raichi was also a Tsuful, as the last survivor of the massacre by the Saiyans, and wanted to avenge his race.  
Suddenly, he came upon a series of images entitled “Video Games”. But they all followed his work accurately... Hold on? What was this thing? Ozotto? He looked like a failed version of Cell. Did he design him? Hmm, he must have been drunk... Ah... AHA! Here it was, Raichi, a video game character! Damn... He hadn’t even touched it...  
“Oh no... I didn’t invent this one...” Akira Toriyama admitted watching his patiently-waiting opponent for the last time.  
He thought for three seconds, rubbing one of his mechanical clamps on his back.  
Facing this decision, half of the universe 2 fell back.  
“Then I forfeit. I’m too old for this shit.”  
“Raichi is the winner. You can leave the ring,” declared the Varga announcer.  
“Really?”  
‘Well, I suppose that wasn’t so bad,” thought the Tsuful as he slowly returned to his wing.  
As Akira Toriyama headed for the hallway, two people prevented him from moving forward. They were incredibly happy and in their hands, the held out what looked like a notebook and a pen.  
“Toriyama-sensei-sama-dono!: said the man on the left, Salagir, a blond with a marsupial tail. He had obviously learned Japanese by reading (from left to right) Japanese cartoons. In such cases, it was better to ignore them. After all, these gaijins and politeness...  
“Can we have an autograph?” asked the guy with long, dark brown hair, Gogeta Jr.   
They handed him a thin, rectangular object, perhaps the size of a pie dish.  
“What’s that?” demanded Akira.  
“Er... a graphic tablet,” replied the young man with dark hair, handing him a stylus pen.  
“Can’t you use paper like everyone else?”  
“Use what?” said the two men astonishedly as Mr. Toriyama signed their touchpads.  
Then he went off without looking back. These strange characters gave him an unpleasant taste of déjà vu. He felt like he had already met them in another life, or another comic... a smaller, or mini-, comic...  
“Does this actually say ‘Toriyama’?” asked the dark-haired man, observing the screen of his tablet.  
“I don’t know, it’s all kanji!” replied his friend, who was also puzzled.  
A little further on, Toriyama was halted by another character. Petite, with light brown hair and blue eyes, she handed the master a book and asked, “Could you please sign this?”  
“What is it?” Akira asked, taking it into his hands.  
“A novel!”  
“But this is unreadable!!”  
“Uh...”  
“And plus, the cover is at the end!”  
“That’s because it reads from left to right...”  
“Oh okay, this world is upside-down. Everything has gotten like that, it seems.”  
After scribbling some stick-like words, he went his way, leaving this strange character with his unreadable, upside-down book.  
Walked forward with firm steps, hands in his pockets, a small, all-knowing smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, a man wearing a Piccolo-like turban, a cape, and three swords approached Toriyama. Once he was close, he spoke with good humor.  
“Hey, finish with me!”  
Then he suddenly assumed a serious tone, pulling his fist out of a pocket, waving it triumphantly in front of him.  
“When I lose my temper and an immense anger comes over me, I turn into the legendary warrior! I am... I am...”  
“Jackie Chan?”  
Not even stopping, Toriyama passed by the man who watched leave, whose jaw gaped.  
The latter mumbled in a little high-pitched voice, “Son Goku. The Super Saiyan...”  
“What did he want, that guy?” wondered the talented mangaka, raising an eyebrow and not continuing to press the issue. This place seemed decidedly sketchy...  
A Varga, just a little further yonder, then asked Toriyama to tread slowly. Indeed, the concrete floor was newly polished, and for safety reasons, it would be better for him to walk carefully to avoid a slip that would take him straight to the DB-Mergency Room.  
A young man with glasses, fitted with Saiyan Armor, ran to catch up to him.  
“Master, Master...”  
“I know that guy! I’ve always wanted to meet him!”  
“Master, I would love to be you, to have your talent!”  
“Eureka! I’m going to use Captain Ginyu’s technique, and I will become Toriyama!”  
He then yelled, “Bodi Chenji” while his he pierced his chest using his right fist. A ray of energy flowed from his body towards the direction of Toriyama. But it slipped... How awkward. The energy beam went straight towards a varga and collided. The two minds exchanged from one body to another...  
“I did it! I have become Tori—quack?”  
The young man paused, or rather now, the varga. He saw the mangaka on the ground.  
“Then in whose body am I?”  
After a super fast inspection of himself, he roared, “Nooooooooooooooooooo— Quack!”  
Toriyama got up somehow and mumbled, seeing the Varga cry out, “What a funny bird, this one...”  
He was definitely well-known and a celebrity: a young woman had been expecting him a little further on. She had light brown hair, a white ribbon around her head, a scouter on her left eye... It was unmistakable. Toriyama noticed that she was wearing the shoes of a famous blue hedgehog as she handed him a book.  
“Again? What is this?”  
“Master, this is the origin of the Saiyans, along with that of the Tsufuls!”  
“Oh, really?”  
Speaking rapidly, the artist explained the plot of her short work. After finishing in under a minute, she waited for a response from the master.I  
“Is there no Gotenks?” asked Toriyama. “I like him.”  
“Uh... no.”  
Toriyama left without a word, thinking to himself: ‘I never imagined the origin of the Saiyans myself. It wasn’t all that important... and plus, the Tsufuls aren’t even my creations...’  
He hoped not to make any more random encounters such as those, but was in vain. Another person halted him.  
“Hello, Master,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re here! I’ve come up with something great--trying to imitate you, you know!”  
She handed him a small stack of paper that was tightly clamped.  
“No thank you. I’m sure you’re great. Your contracts don’t interest me, ma’am. Sorry, but I have to go now. Uh... my, uh, scooter...it’s double-parked.”  
“It’s not that at all,” she said. “This is a scenario! This is the sequel to Dragon Ball!”  
“What, DB GT?”  
“No, it was after DB GT. You know, there is much left over after the cartoon. Like it or not, it’s part of the work of many people...”  
“So what? Is it another DB AF?”  
“Not really... there’s no SSJ5, if you will...”  
“Isn’t there a script of something stupid like this on the internet? With a multi-universe-of-planets tournament or something?”  
“No, my scenario is much better to me.”  
“Well, I’m happy for you. Go! Good-bye!”  
“Wait, you have to design it!”  
“What?”  
Toriyama-sensei ran away, pursued by this woman and her damn script. Very quickly, other people followed, with various papers and questions:  
“Master, master! We want to know: is the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly or Goku?”  
“Tori! What do you think of Super Sonic? Do they have the right to do that?”  
“Hey, mister, I drew a parody of Dragon Ball with Mario. Does it not bother you?”  
“Tell me, Toriyama-san. I have a question about the translation of a name! It seems that you use the kana “ma” but if it is a pun on the word, as I believe it is, wouldn’t the syllable be elongated?”  
“By the way, happy birthday, master! Thank you for everything, too!”  
“Mr. A.T., because you allowed Dragon Ball Evolution to be created, I am responsible for killing you! Come back here!”  
“Akira, marry me!”  
“Leave me alone,” the pursued man cried desperately. “I don’t even feel like Dragon Ball, myself! I just want to do with stories about toilet humor and round characters!  
Having left the area after a long time, the master disappeared with full speed behind a mountain. There, he invoked the end of the chapter, and disappeared between two pages...  
Not so far away, at the edge of Universe 2’s space, a few participants and spectators were asking questions:  
“He really... created us?” asked the young Shu of his compatriots.  
“In any case, he had a whole bunch of files on each of us,” replied Eight, without answering the question.  
“I’m telling you! He was the author!” repeated once again the man called Professor Slump.  
“The author of what?” the blue cat asked innocently.  
“He seemed to be able to control us all,” intervened Beelzebub.  
“Nobody controls me,” retorted someone with pointy ears, long, silver hair, and wearing a red cape.  
“And if he really was our god, or something like that,” added Sun Wukong, who had stayed back after all this time, “he would have some sort of power... And even you, Magnus, wouldn’t be able to face him and win.”  
“Anyways, you’d never know until you tried.”  
“No, but we can’t fight against the gods,” intervened Narub of Universe 19, who had been walking around the arena and heard everything. “We aren’t in the Knights of the Zodiac!”  
“He was the one who said that...” thought Supaman, without daring to say it upfront.  
“So then, excuse me, but I take on Gods in the morning for breakfast,” said Sun Wukong. “They aren’t that bad.”  
Cutting short any discussion that wouldn’t lead to anything because it was now impossible to verify anything about Master Toriyama, the Announcer Varga declared next fight:  
“New match, Syd from Universe 6 against Vegeta from Universe 13.”  
The announcement of the fight did little to surprise Syd, the warrior from Universe 6. With only a few more fights left before the end of the first round, it was clear that her turn would come soon enough. And if she was still in the competition, she hoped to beat a guy that was potentially more weak than her. Someone from a ncie universe, with a nice head, like a nice kid somehow. The big guy with glasses who had lost his daughter was quite kind. If she were to fight against someone from Universe 2, she would have also gone willingly. But her current opponent was a member of Universe 13, the same one from which came the fighter who had nearly killed Kat... She did not need to look further.  
Raising one arm, she declared, “I forfe...”  
Jet, her leader, quickly put her arm on Syd’s arm to stop her.  
“Wait! Get in, and use your power.”  
“Why?”  
Yeah, why did Jet want Syd to get involved in danger at all? She was certain that with her power, she had every chance to win, but it had only worked largely due to the element of surprise. To show this to Bojack...  
Jet approached her friend to whisper in her ear, “I want Bojack to think you are the most dangerous of the group. That should give us an advantage.”  
Initially embarrassed for asking such a question, since she would not risk her life and she was not as physically strong as Kat, Syd was finally persuaded. Her leader had an idea, and it was her duty to bring it to life.  
“Okay,” she said with a winning spirit. “I’ll give him an eyeful!”  
Bujin, who had been sulking in the corner of his bench, was close enough to the girls  
“I heard everything,” he thought to himself as he looked at Bojack, who had his back turned to him, with a sour look. “And I’ll say nothing.”   
Since Zangya’s death, Bujin could stand Bojack less and less. This idiot didn’t even think to ask any questions about these mysterious girls. “Bah,” he had said, “we’ll just massacre them once we’re back in our own universe.” Not once had he raised the question of why this group of girls was not so strong, compared to the other participants, and yet they were still selected by the Vargas.  
Anyway, Bojack never questioned them for a single minute. These girls were there for him, to put it simply. Did they have a plan? Oh well, Bujin wasn’t gonna do anything about it.  
They all waited for Syd to get into the ring. After a few long seconds, she, smiling, eyes closed, head tilted to the side, a finger on her cheek, said:  
“Uh... Who can carry me to the ring?”  
Around her, the other girls, a Varga and even Bujin fell in reverse. If they had really thought that Bojack would think Syd was the strongest of the group, their plan was going badly... He laughed.  
A Namek hurried to arrive to carry her by the arms and gently drop her off at the ring.  
“Thank you!” she said as she floated in the air, without fear of the altitude.

The Namek let go. As he stood on the ring, he watched Syd being crushed by the gravity, almost lying down. She clenched her teeth and her eyes widened.  
“Argh! What is this gravity! I’m gonna die!!”  
Kat had warned her, but she could not imagine such a thing... It looked like Kat was very comfortable on it, like the other participants. But Syd had forgotten that Kat was the fighter of the group, and her physical abilities were totally inhumane...  
The Namek was silent before leaving, since she had not decided to forfeit just yet.  
“How are they all able to handle it so easily?!?”  
Vegeta of Universe 13, her opponent, was waiting on her for a moment.  
He scoffed, “Well, is that enough? Do you forfeit, or shall I wait 30 seconds? ”  
It was true that if she stayed down for thirty seconds, she would lose indefinitely. Oh, the shame!  
She regarded Vegeta, who had approached her with a few steps. Then she smiled and her eyes became white with a starlike twinkle inside.  
“He he! Naive!” she exclaimed, looking at him straight in the eyes.  
Syd made the stars in her eyes brighten intensely and suddenly Vegeta found his eyes becoming stars as well...  
“Huh?” he managed to say as he began to feel a tingling throughout his body.  
Syd smiled. The plan had worked. Vegeta lurched slightly forward, his hands before, seeming to suffer from something... But nobody could understand what...  
Pain proliferated from her eyes to her stomach, throughout her skull. She became stronger with every second as it continued to spread throughout her body.  
“But... what happens to me?” Vegeta managed to cry out, his voice sounding strange and his body smoking.  
Syd stood up. Few people could say with certainty that she seemed to have changed. But now she was standing in the gravity with ease. She smiled, and this time, everyone’s minds were blown: she had become a man, with short hair and thicker muscles.  
“Look at you, dear!” Syd said to his opponent.  
Vegeta, in his Saiyan Prince clothes, was now a female, and his hair was long and thin.  
“But... But...!!” Vegeta shouted, very surprised with the result of Syd’s power.  
Moreover, even his voice had changed! She was more high-pitched, almost... sensual.  
“That’s right. You’re a woman!” Syd replied with the deep voice of a man. “My power permits me to exchange our strength, our genes, our ki... Our power levels are now even! You’ve lost a huge part of your strength, you’ve lost your virility, and if you hadn’t noticed...” she continued, “We have the same power, except you’re now in a new body that you know nothing about... And that’s not counting the psychological impact!  
Vegeta could not even budge, as if he was really shocked into paralysis.  
“But as for me... I’m used to all of that. Goodbye, Princess!”  
Vegeta, still troubled, looked at her arms and hands. They were less muscular, and more graceful. She pulled the collar of her armor to see what had given his armor a strange conformation and let out a gasp. Her hands then followed the curves of her body, from the chest, through its sheer size and stopping between her legs.  
“Ah! My balls! They’re gone!” he cried, aghast.  
“That’s exactly the kind of psychological impact that I was talking about!”  
Syd flew forward. It was time to attack, if she wanted to take advantage of the element of surprise. Perhaps she could take him down with one fell swoop. She launched a giant flying kick towards Vegeta’s head... But he parried it with one hand without even looking.   
Before Syd’s startled eyes, Vegeta raised his head and smiled.  
“A huge part of my strength... ha! Psychological impact? Is that a joke?”  
This was not possible! Was he already over the trauma? Impossible. These warriors were still too sexist and loved their bodies. In any case, Syd was not a fighter, while Vegeta was an expert. She needed the psychological advantage.  
“I’m a girl... So what?” he asked, a little annoyed, preparing a punch.  
Syd was unable to avoid the attack and was hit right in the stomach. Despite his new abs, he felt very ill and fell several meters away. He stood up quickly, but Vegeta was already there to deal another blow, followed by a violent kick to the head. Syd found himself on the ground and lay there for a moment this time, out of breath.  
The Saiyan approached walking, not without grace, and thought, ‘Still, I would have liked a little more chest...’  
And he arrived to flank a kick in the ribs.  
“Always the same with these magicians...”  
Syd spat blood. He was paralyzed.  
Vegeta ran through his thin, sweet-smelling, oh-so-feminine hair... “One little trick... and they think they’ve won.”  
She stooped and picked up Syd by the hair, lifting it without any difficulty. Syd found his head at Vegeta’s chest’s height.  
“Now, give me back my powers and my body... This one isn’t suitable for combat. I’ll need my regular body for real opponents. Or do I need to make you suffer for hours until you accept?”  
Syd, clearly losing, looked up and met the Saiyan Princess’s gaze. It was clear that she would follow through on his threat of execution if she did nothing... And as he did suffer as much as Kat, he used his power. Syd’s eyes twinkled, then Vegeta’s did the same.  
“Good Girl,” he said as he felt that tingling sensation and more intense pain, characteristic of the metamorphosis, along with the steam coming of the body. The transformation seemed perhaps more pleasant this time.  
Syd had become a girl, and Vegeta a man. he still held her by the hair, causing her to suffer.  
“Ah, that’s much better.”  
“The gravity... it hurts...” gasped the girl, who patiently hoped that he would liberate her.  
If only she had thought to shout out her abandonment....  
“Don’t worry... it won’t last much longer,” said Vegeta, dropping her suddenly, standing up, and holding out his arms, palms open towards her.  
Before she could let out a single sound, Vegeta launched an attack whose power was too strong. Syd was vaporized instantly. The ring did not break under the attack, but took a black, burnt, and charred look. The smell was not exactly pleasant, but Vegeta had been accustomed to it for decades.  
“Vegeta of Universe 13 is the winner!” cried the announcer varga into his microphone, without offending the death.  
In Universe 6, Bojack smiled (only a little!). Bujin sighed, but the other girls screamed and wept. Kat fell to her knees. She could not continue any longer. It was a brand new blow. She had said it hours earlier... She had warned that this tournament was composed of crazies! They needed to get away from here. That’s where the leader’s decisions had taken them...  
In Universe 18, Trunks did not lose the opportunity to make a joke. Smiling, he put a hand on his father’s shoulder, “Dad, you’d make a pretty mom!”  
If Vegeta of Universe 18 was like Universe 13’s Vegeta, no doubt that he would have hit his son to shut him up.  
The people of Universe 18 were also really shocked by the behavior of this Counterpart Vegeta. Those who had known him at the time he had arrived on earth had directly suffered the atrocity of the Saiyans. Others had heard enough to have identified the person he was, or could have been today. Even Pan.  
She liked him. He never did much. And even after her father, one day, had told her all about him. He had probably done so to protect her, to make her attentive, but nothing had changed. In battle, he did not seem sadistic, even if it was a dead hand... especially against her grandfather. She herself had never fought against him... A detail that would change if they both won their next match. But she had to defeat Kakarotto first: a guy who seemed even more Machiavellian!  
The first round would be over soon... the time of her fight approached inexorably, making her increasingly more stressed...  
The Varga quickly announced the next-to-last fight of the first round:  
“We now call Gast Carcolh from Universe 7, and Cell Junior from Universe 17!”  
“Who?” Gohan was puzzled for a moment, then remembered that Universe 7 was the one with the giant Namek.  
“That’s not a name that’s characteristically Namekian,” said his brother. “It’s just a couple of words, and they’re not particularly green.”  
Piccolo chose not to answer. He had noted the peculiarity of this Great Namek, one who contained the entire population of his planet within himself. The former demon did not detect any trace of himself or of Kami in this Namek’s energy signature. What events had triggered the creation of Gast Carcolh? Freeza, surely...and that without the intervention of the Earthlings, or at least without his intervention. Clearly, Gast had been alone for years, searching for others like him...it was clear that Piccolo and Kami must not have been alive in Universe 7. Maybe they had never been born.  
The name...he knew where it had originated, as he had understood the origins of the Nameks ever since his own fusion with Nail. It must have been a deliberate choice on the part of the first Namek; Nail was likely to change his name because he was now the representative of all his people. “Gast” was simply a diminutive form of the Namekian word meaning “the people” or “the nation”. As far as “Carcolh” was concerned...it was a reference to the newly-formed Namek’s power. It was the name of a legendary Namekian god whose tale now endured only in children’s stories, passed down from generation to generation. Thousands or even millions of years ago, the primitive Nameks worshiped imaginary deities, like many others. Carcolh was a giant mollusk of great power and poise...  
The Super Namek uncrossed his arms, lifted off the ground with a jump and flew quickly to the ring, surrounded by a white aura.  
“We will be able to determine the warrior’s power,” said Piccolo quietly as he watched the impending battle.  
Son Goku approached him. “Tell me, Piccolo: if Cell is at the same level as we knew, his Junior is probably at the same level too. Could you beat him today?”  
“I have made much progress since then, hoping to reach Cell’s level...but without success. But I think I would be able to beat out a mere Junior.”  
“That means Gast will make short work of it. Given his size, he’s far more powerful than you,” said Goten, walking closer to them.  
“Mere size or muscle have never determined superiority,” he retorted. “But I must admit: as a merger of all the Nameks, he is necessarily on an entirely different level.”  
Beside them, Cell in space 17 had the same reasoning. He knew Piccolo, and so he knew the capabilities of the Nameks. He had also heard the story of the warrior from Universe 7 and knew this opponent had overwhelming power.   
Watching his Junior who was impatiently waiting for the go-ahead from his father, he made a decision:  
“We need a minute,” Cell said through gritted teeth to the Varga responsible for his space.  
It was risky...it could reveal his true power to everyone. But, on the other hand, there were several reasons to abandon his first plan.  
To begin with, Son Goku and all the others were not fooled. If they had not already guessed at his strength, it wouldn’t take them much longer. He had two more fights to go before he met a member of the Z Team. For that matter, his next fight was against the one called “Bojack”, who, after a transformation, had surpassed the level of an ordinary Super Saiyan. Cell could not tell how strong he was compared to Dabura from Universe 11...he might not be stronger, but it was a possibility.  
And besides, he wanted to know how strong the Great Namek was. If his son could win, all the better; if he ended up in the final against his offspring, he would enjoy it. But he would have to put the odds on his son’s side.  
“Your opponent is too powerful,” he told his son, pushing him inside their space under the confused gaze of the Varga. “I’ll increase your strength.”  
“We are not supposed to accept that,” thought the Varga. “They could have done this before!”  
Cell stopped at the first room, opened the door, and let the smiling Cell Junior enter first. Then he shut the door behind him.  
“It’s well-constructed,” thought Cell, examining the furnished room with a smile at the corner of his mouth. “The walls are sound-proof and our auras are hidden too...you no longer feel the others, and the others don’t feel us...this is perfect.”  
The small Cell turned to his father, and in a very playful, slightly naive voice, asked, “How are you going to make me stronger, dad?”  
The father’s smile disappeared. Without an ounce of guilt or remorse--without a moment’s hesitation--he made a quick movement with his left hand, two fingers extended. An immensely powerful invisible wave of ki struck the blue Cell Junior; he exploded immediately. The sound of rending flesh filled the room, and forty-eight pieces of the the body landed in a pool of blood.  
Without wasting time, Cell concentrated his energy to its peak. The tip of his tail opened suddenly, and a few seconds later, something popped out.  
Another Cell Junior, somewhat sticky, fell to the ground in the fetal position. He got up quickly and dusted some organic matter off his armor. Then he clenched his fists, flexed his knees, and cried: “Ki kih kih!”  
“There, I gave this one the most power I could...” Cell was out of breath, with sweat running down his face.  
Followed by his new-and-improved son, he left the room and followed the hallway to his space, where everyone was waiting.  
“What could they have done!?” stammered the Gohans from Universes 16 and 18.  
“Well, what do you think he has done?” asked his father, Vegeta.  
“I don’t know, but it’s very suspicious. With Cell, we can expect anything and everything. We didn’t feel their auras when they were in the apartment,” said Gohan, though the others were well aware of it. “That Cell Junior is identical. I don’t think he’s any stronger.”  
Suddenly, Piccolo understood. “No...he didn’t!”  
“Didn’t do what?” Gohan asked, turning to him.  
“What a monster! He hasn’t changed; he’s still evil!” He began to explain what he had guessed...something that someone from Universe 16 had also guessed.  
“Though it looks the same and has the same genetic code, it’s the wrong one,” said Vegetto. “Heh,” thought the fused warrior. “You really are a beautiful bastard, you.”  
Piccolo from Universe 16 also understand, but he had heard his counterpart in Universe 18, so he didn’t want to repeat himself. Gohan and Bra would likely figure it out on their own.  
The Super Namek from Universe 7, still waiting to face his opponent, immediately discovered the deception. But it was not his problem; he did not pretend to judge the actions of this creature. His thoughts turned...this “Cell”, is it possible...?  
Gast had tried not to listen to too many conversations from the past hour, but he had heard snippets that this Cell was somehow familiar to the other universes. It was somehow related to the cyborgs from Universe 14. Numbered cyborgs...he kneew their origin. In fact, he also had a link, albeit narrow, to Cell.And he would fight this miniature clone of Cell.  
Buu from Universe 4 laughed to himself. “Awesome!” he thought, looking at the tall creature in Universe 17. “You’re too much, you! I think you’re the most original creature in the entire tournament...we could be great friends, if we weren’t opponents!”  
The gods of the universe had understood too. They were, after all, gods. In terms of perception, nothing escaped them...except perhaps East Kaioshin, who was still a little young.  
“That’s not in the rules, is it?” asked West Kaioshin nonchalantly.  
“Oh, I’d say not,” replied North Kaioshin, “but is there any reason to stop the fight because of it? In this Multiverse Tournament, many things are very unusual. Besides, this is still the first round, so it’s not like he changed between one match and the next. I would say that a substitution in the first round is technically legal.”  
“But...he is not the sa--” began East Kaioshin as he suddenly understood.  
“It is not at all in the rules,” interrupted South Kaioshin. “To change after you know who your opponent is--that’s cheating, plain and simple.”  
“Then we will close our eyes to it this time,” concluded the Grand Kaioshin. They all turned to him, surprised.  
“Our vetoes and arbitration will almost certainly be required later on for more serious matters,” he said, turning back to the ring.  
The Cell Junior had charged the ring at high speeds, crying shrilly. “Gnee gnee hi hi!”  
He rushed toward the head of the Super Namek, who was standing in the ring with his arms crossed.

The Cell Junior struck a giant blow to Gast’s right cheek, who had no time to defend himself. He took the full brunt of the blow, his head snapping back with a massive bruise on his cheek. His arms uncrossed, he fell heavily on the high gravity of the ring, unable to maintain his balance.  
Everyone saw what had happened, and were initially speechless. The Vargas at the mic, watching the ring from the control tower, remained open-mouthed and shocked. Cell merely facepalmed, utterly disgraced.  
The Cell Junior landed on the ring, and, still screaming shrilly, rushed toward his opponent, who had not yet risen. He would have tackled him if the announcer hadn’t stopped his flight with a shout:  
“D...Disqualification! Cell Junior is disqualified for attacking before the match began!”  
There was total silence in the arena; the viewers were left stunned and wide-eyed. The Cell Junior, hovering in one place without daring to move, looked around for something to do. To those who hadn’t yet figured it out, a cardinal rule of the Multiverse Tournament suddenly returned to their minds.  
“He didn’t...”  
“...touch the ring!” exclaimed Goten and Trunks, as surprised as everyone else.  
The announcer, his mic off, turned to his technician. “Are you sure he didn’t just move too quickly for us to see, like they often do?”  
“I’m certain,” the technician replied. “The ring did not register contact. He did not touch it, even for a moment.”  
The Cell Junior remained in midair, one meter away from Gast, his eyes still wide open. On the ring, the Super Namek slowly stood and turned his back on his erstwhile opponent, who was still levitating like a lost child. The Junior didn’t even look at his creator. Gast Carcolh seemed determined to return quietly to his space.  
“I thought it would take longer than that,” Trunks from Universe 16 said. “That’s quite a blow, to win by disqualification!”  
“Pfft. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” replied Bra.  
“Even I would have taken the hit,” interjected Vegetto. “Who would have suspected that he would attack without respecting the first rule? As surprising as it was, I still wouldn’t mind seeing him disqualified. Other than Broly, of course...he couldn’t be expected to follow the rules, but...”  
“You would have taken the hit?” Gohan was surprised. “Even without a transformation, I don’t think...”  
“It’s not that,” said Vegetto. “If my opponent rushes me without touching the ring, he’s either bluffing or he’s stupid. It’s out of the question that I would attack out of turn, obviously. I would have remained in one place, like Gast did, expecting him to stop a millimeter away.”  
“You mean you’d do it just to make a mockery of your adversary’s stupidity,” concluded Son Bra.  
“Oh, I would,” said Vegetto with a smile, but also a small drop of sweat. “It’s a just reward. Son Goku mocked many enemies with his naivety alone.”  
This perception was not shared by all, including those from Universe 18.  
“Master,” ventured Uub, “can we assume that if the Namek warrior could not avoid the blow of his opponent, he must not be very strong? Compared to you, I mean.  
“Meh,” Vegeta answered. He wasn’t about to participate in this discussion.  
“Uh...” Goku began, “if the Cell Junior is as strong as Perfect Cell, then an unprepared blow...”  
“Gast Carcolh has got the hang of it,” Piccolo stated. “And he’d take another blow like it, too.”  
All eyes turned back to the Namek. Uub asked again, “But he could have dodged it at the last moment, right?”  
“The fight had not started,” Piccolo said.  
“Oh,” Goku said, “and it was cheating on the part of the Cell Junior. He took the hit on purpose, because it assured him of victory! Plus, instead of revealing his true strength, or even a little of his strength, he leaves us with absolutely no clue.”  
“Yes, and there’s more than that,” Piccolo continued. “That Cell hit Gast quite hard. The Super Namek was able to assess his strength, speed...everything. If the fight still happened anyway, he would already have that much more information about his opponent.”  
“Yes. Too bad there won’t be a fight.”  
Was it inevitable? In the stands, the crowd was shouting unhappily.In the stands, spectators were shouting at the top of their lungs. They wanted to see a match! From the beginning of the tournament, the matches had often been over too quickly or not even happened at all. To miss out on a fight because one of the contestants had forgotten to touch the ring was simply too much.  
“Come on!” they chanted in unison. “We want a fight!”  
Out of all the seventeen fighters still in the running, there was one who was particularly interested in seeing this fight. Once again, he spoke up. Standing in the middle of the space for Universe 4, his arms crossed, he cried out in a voice that was easily heard throughout the arena, just as if he had spoken into the announcer’s microphone:  
“Come, Master Namek, Vargas and Gentlemen -- you will give him a second chance, won’t you?”  
His voice carried across the stadium. Everyone heard, even Gast who paused.  
In the space of Universe 1, the Kaioshins once again found themselves faced with a dilemma. Should they apply the rules strictly, or make a special allowance?  
“This is unacceptable! They continue to break all the rules!” shouted South Kaioshin, who felt rules existed to be applied.  
“I would say that it is for the opponent to decide,” interrupted West Kaioshin. She thought a compromise wouldn’t necessarily be bad.  
Gast Carcolh turned back to the Cell Junior and thought quickly. He could simply refuse, and return to his space the undisputed winner. But he could also fight a bit, just to warm up. It had been years since he had fought at his full capacity; this would be a nice way to get back into the swing of things.  
“I AGREE TO FIGHT!” he cried.  
Gast stood erect, his arms at his sides and his fists clenched. He had to admit that his cheek smarted just a bit. For that, he would show some of his power against this little fighter. It was so small that it only came to his knees!  
Facing him, the miniature Cell stood up and approached. They stood on the ring less than a meter apart, Cell Junior looking up at the tall Super Namek.  
“Okay, the fight is restarted, and the match begins now,” announced the Varga through the microphone.  
“This match is between the largest and smallest fighters here,” said one of the other birds in the control room.   
Gast clenched his fists hard and let his ki explode. A bright aura surrounded him, making his cape fly back behind his head. The shock wave was small, but it knocked the Cell Junior six yards away. That was no problem for him, though; he knew how to keep his balance.  
“He hid so much power!” thought Piccolo as Son Goku exclaimed, “Oh! This Namek is something!”  
Cell Junior was not happy to have been pushed back a few meters. He, took, could make a powerful aura. Energy exploded around him as he demonstrated his maximum power, a large golden aura with blue flashes of electricty surrounding him.  
“But...he is much stronger!” noticed Gohan.  
“Stronger than Cell was after his suicide attempt,” confirmed Vegeta, his arms still crossed.  
“As we suspected, Cell was hiding his true abilities.” Goku turned back toward the Universe 17 space to see Cell smiling.  
In the ring, the little blue Cell lunged at his opponent, who remained unmoved. This time, he was ready. He flung a kick at the Namek’s head, who parried it easily with one forearm. The Cell Junior spun quickly with another kick aimed at his opponent’s face, but the blow was again easily countered with the other arm. The small Cell quickened his movements, attacking everywhere, using his smaller size to hit rapidly while avoiding the Namek’s big fists. But nothing helped. Gast was quick to counter every move.   
The Super Namek was calm and determined. Every movement was precise; he sought to counter each attack with the lowest possible expenditure of energy. In contrast, Cell Junior did not care in the least how much energy he was using.  
When the small Cell tried another blow to the calf, hoping to drop his opponent, he dropped down on one knee. Even so, his size still dwarfed the little fighter, whose surprise cost him dearly. Gast struck him with a fist full in the face. The blow was simple but powerful, yet Gast had not put his full strength into it. Cell Junior flew high into the sky before recovering and righting himself, then immediately attacked with a Makkankosappo. But it didn’t scare the Namek, who had already seen this technique. He appeared to catch the beam’s radius, adjusting for its movement and reverse it so that it returned as a sharp attack toward its sender, who dodged it easily.  
The two adversaries were still for a moment. Gast remained calm. The Cell Junior gritted his teeth and tried a new strategy...he thought. He crossed his arms, and when he unfolded them, he doubled. He repeated the process several times, multiplying his number. It never seemed to stop! There were four, then eight, then sixteen, thirty-two, and finally sixty-four! The technique of Tenshinhan was pushed to its limits!  
“Ghi ghi ghi hi hi!” shouted all sixty-four replicants simultaneously as they zeroed in on Gast, who remained calm.  
He had seen this technique before, and immediately recognized its weakness. This opponent had not been able to overcome it. Ten Cell Juniors pounced on him, but he avoided them by jumping up several meters. A dozen others surrounded him and showered him with blows, but he parried them all. Suddenly whirling in place, he flipped end-over-end, managing to kick every last one of the replicas violently in under two seconds.  
Even then, they were not all down; several energy attacks came at him. He avoided them all, disappearing completely.  
From then on, everything happened very quickly. One duplicate Cell Junior saw an explosion in front of him as another clone exploded from a mortal blow. Immediately after, another exploded, this time below him...then another behind him. For ten seconds, Gast moved faster than the clones could see, completely avoiding their energy attacks while dealing with them each one-by-one and allowing their beams to collide with each other.  
The original Cell Junior began gathering his energy, which multiplied each time another one of his clones exploded. He stretched out his arms to either side, a bright aura appearing around him and lightning surrounding his body. He began to charge a devastating attack, one that made Universe 18’s Vegeta take notice.  
Just as Cell Junior prepared to fire, Gast reappeared in the ring, in good shape. He was quiet...not even out of breath, despite having conquered all the other replicas. But he didn’t try to attack the last, simply looking up and taking the brunt of the Final Flash.  
The explosion was violent. The ring held out, because it was only the Namek who had been hit; the combat area only received collateral damage. The small Cell was breathing hard, now, trying to catch his breath as the smoke cleared. The result he saw was bad.  
Gast still stood there, just as calm as always. His tunic had been vaporized by the attack, and the remains of his tattered cloak lay on the ground behind him. But Gast Carcolh himself was uninjured. Even that first punch had been more effective!  
“It’s nothing...absolutely nothing?! After this full frontal attack?” Uub was astonished.  
“I think he was injured,” replied Piccolo. “That’s the simplest explanation. But he immediately regenerated before the smoke cleared, just to overawe his opponent.”  
“Wounded how?” Goten asked. “It’s one thing if he was covered with burns; it’s another thing if half his body was disintegrated.”  
Piccolo thought for a few seconds before answering. “It’s impossible to know, I think.”  
Gast extended his arm in front of him, then it suddenly expanded forward rapidly. His large hand grabbed the Cell Junior’s head, then his arm stretched further, traveling hundreds of meters until it struck the energy shield protecting the public. The little fighter remained immobilized for several seconds; the Namek’s grip was strong. Too strong. With a sudden burst of agility, the small blue creature managed to kick Gast’s wrist, allowing himself to twist free rapidly. He immediately rushed toward his opponent; if he reached him before Gast’s arm shrunk back to normal, he would have quite an advantage.  
Unfortunately, Gast was far more capable than that. His arm retracted to normal immediately, and the Cell Junior paused as he approached the Super Namek, unsure of what to do. That hesitation was his downfall. From one of Gast’s eyes came a single spark. A very thin beam shot out, piercing the Cell Junior’s head and disappearing into the depths of space.  
The Cell Junior continued to hover for a few seconds. Blood dripped from the hole in the middle of his head and drained down his face. His eyes rolled back, then he finally fell to the ring.  
“Well, why doesn’t he regenerate such a small wound?” Son Goten asked the others in Universe 16. The fact that a hole in the head could be worse than in another part of the body didn’t cross his mind.  
“I don’t believe that the Juniors regenerate,” said Gohan. He remembered how he had easily destroyed seven of them in his time. Or had it been eight? For some strange reason, he didn’t know.  
“In any case, he touched the main core of Cell Junior,” Vegetto said.  
“He guessed he had one?” asked Gohan.  
“This Namek is really amazing. He beats me at all levels,” said Piccolo. “Strength, speed, regeneration, tactical abilities...”  
“Victory of Gast Carcolh of the Universe 7!” declared the announcer.  
Gast took off from the ring to return to his space. In the space of Universe 17, Cell grumbled. Vegetto came over to taunt him.  
“Do not worry, Cell. He will be resurrected at the end of the tournament.”  
Cell made no reply to this remark. It didn’t matter to him whether the Junior would be resurrected or not. Vegetto seemed to have read his thoughts.“Well, unless you hatch a dozen others before, I guess....”  
After a few minutes, the ring returned to its perfect spherical shape. The last battle of the first round was announced...  
Everyone patiently waited, but few people actually knew who would compete in the final match of the first round. There were many inhabitants from different worlds who were potentially next.  
Considering the inhabitants of one of the worlds, one couldn't help but wonder if the Kaioshin got involved or not? In the space of Universe 2, there were at least a dozen spectators. One of them was most likely registered. Four of them had already participated: Mary Sue, Arale, Nékomajin Z, Sun 6 Wukong.  
In another universe, there were two women in the group of four, eight in the world in all composed of a whole bunch of warrior races and of different body types. In the ninth universe remained a dark young man who was also participating involved, as one or both of the universe counterparts 16 and 18 the name of Son Gohan. Finally, Universe 19 had many warriors equipped in armor and all ready to fight.  
The Varga, armed with a microphone, placed end to the speculation. Shouting happily, he announced the final battle of the first round:  
"And now the last fight of the round!" he began, taking some time to announce the names to bring a touch of suspense.  
"Indeed," Raichi from the universe 3 space stated. He was still sitting on his luminous ball, just as he turned into the entrance to his room saying:  
"This is the last fight of the first round ... You can come out now, nameless one."  
They were not only three in this universe, despite what Raichi and Tapion had originally thought, before the sudden onset of the Saiyan Baddack who asked to keep his presence secret.  
There were four. And while he went out, the fighter finally showed his face at the sight of millions of viewers, the host finished his announcement:  
"The last Battle of the first round is Beelzebub of Universe 2 against the Great Demon King Piccolo of universe 3."  
"And well, the name he gave him ... He did not believe it too ... " thought the Varga after turning off his microphone.

Piccolo, a name that was well known to many of the participants in this tournament, especially among the two Piccolo counterparts of worlds 16 and 18. An obvious difference existed between them: the Grand Demon King Piccolo was their father, they were his reincarnation. They were conceived as an egg from the last breath of life Piccolo Daimao breathed following his defeat by Son Goku.  
The great Demon King retained his youth, meaning he was built for fighting. In no doubt, he had managed to get the youth eternal life through Shenron, like its counterparts in many other universes.  
Universe in 2, a Paifu World Cowa, cried in delight: "Oh? I'm going to ask them both for an autograph!"  
Paifu was a monster and proud of it! He found that there were too many people in this tournament, when everyone knew that they were weak and the monsters were the strong ones! Finally, the people would see that the ones who changed their hairs weren't the only impressive ones, as his friend Mako. This round would end in beauty since the announcement promised two things: two monsters of the highest quality! Beelzebub was well known among both monsters and demons. He was one of legends of their world, and was very nasty. He had ended a sun that was devastating their world! Monsters preferred the night after all. As for the Grand Demon King, he did not know of him, but the title spoke for itself.  
It was time for the fighters to approach. The famous hopping Beelzebub stood against the wall, his cape fluttering in the wind thanks to another inhabitant, the s good old Thief air that made powerful swinging motions with a fan. He was already tired and sweaty, but the fact that it was on its prince was worth it!  
"Demon King huh? I know the King of the demons, and he did not look like that! You'll regret pretending to be my father.

In the space 11, another demon, the same skin color as Beelzebub, though somewhat darker, murmured: "Nice little devil, I would love to have a son like him!"  
He was sitting quietly on a bench. The hole in the stomach, the result of his match against Cell, had disappeared. He had been completely healed, perhaps from the assistance of a Namek.  
"But? Why you are healed you? Babidi cried, astonished to see Dabura not dying on the ground.  
"Uh ..."  
Dabra would have liked to be more discreet in that time, but now...  
"It is I who healed!" the Fat Buu did, joyfully. "He gave me this candy in return!"  
He showed: a candy still wrapped in his little colored paper, between two of his thick fingers. He was proud of not having yet begun.  
Babidi hysterical, replied as kindly as usual:  
"Fool, that was a candy that you created yourself at lunch!"  
Majin Buu lost his smile. With a little pouting face, he turned to look towards the ring while swallowing a sudden his candy. "I was still given some ..."  
For its part, Babidi could do nothing. Oh, of course he had to have a spell or two to suffer Dabra, but now why bother? He would wipe the slate clean, but it still would want a moment to be lost.  
In the space 13, the four warriors of them commented:  
"Tss, another creature from this universe 2," Nappa grumbled, not happy to attend a future game uninteresting.  
"And another Namek," Raditz added. Had they not realized that they were outmatched?  
In the space of Universe 18, the participants also spectated the unlikely turn of events.  
"Well, well, its Daimao!" despite the revelation Son Goku wore a smile on his face. This was the enemy responsible for Kulilin first’s death, but Goku avenged him. There was no sense making disturbance about it now, seeing as that was in the past.  
"So this is it, the famous Piccolo Daimao..." Son Gohan stated.  
He had heard a lot about him from not only Piccolo himself, but also his father when he was little. It was obvious this was first time Gohan could see in the flesh. This multiverse tournament was definitely a place full of surprises.  
"I feel that there's something different." Piccolo stated.  
"Yes, now that you mention it," said Goku losing his smile, "I feel it too."  
In the space 16, another warrior felt too:  
"Yes, it is not the same Piccolo that Son Goku confronted and defeated before. I remember his strength very well. It is much stronger here ... But there's something else ... It's not just Piccolo Daimao ..."  
The two fighters began moving to the ring, ready to fight, but not in a position of typical martial arts fighter. The fighter of universe three wore a wicked grin as he his opponent landed on the ring.  
"What's that ridiculous imp?"  
"Keuf! You're not a demon, you're a Namthing like the organizers!" replied the little demon."Hey, we're super heavy ball on this,” he thought at the same time. But the fighter did not flinch. He continued to taunt his opponent: "Me, I'm a demon!" he said, pointing to the thumb, smiling, frowning, and proud. "For example, a few days ago, I was given chocolates, and I have not even shared with my friends!" He let a few seconds pass before he continued. "In addition, I ate them just before dinner."  
In space 2, Paifun'en was amazed:   
"Wow! What demon! I bet he has not brushed their teeth afterwards! Beelzebub can do anything!"  
The Old Thief, to help the reputation of his prince nodded beside the monster.  
“Oh yes, oh yes," he said. "Our prince is terrible!"  
Piccolo was indeed a shock, albeit discreetly. He wondered what he had heard could be considered impressive in any capacity. Then he realized that his opponent was a child. He had no idea of the real world. Perfect! Piccolo Daimao adored breaking children. It was not difficult to put it back Beelzebub, always armed with his evil grin:  
"Me, I have killed millions of people."  
"What? Are you out of your mind? You're a sick!" cried the little demon, shocked.  
"Sick? No!" Yelled the Namek in rushing towards his opponent. "Just evil!" he said, launching a punch that Beelzebub had no time to dodge or parry.  
Beelzebub bounced on the ground with his feet and returned to the attack. He knew he couldn't let himself be bullied. Despite the pain in his cheek from the attack, he tried to forget about it as he gritted teeth. But the Piccolo continued the attack with a large vertical kick, which sent the small daemon flying. He fell to the ground with a remarkable heavy force.  
"He has a great reach this cheater!" the little demon thought.  
Piccolo charged again, when suddenly he thought he heard a voice telling him to pay attention to the left. He stopped, turned to his left guard. But there was nothing.  
Beelzebub struck him with all his might to the ear, and then walked away quickly.  
The Namek sent a ball of energy, but the little demon dodged a jump on the side, as if he had guessed what he would do. Piccolo again heard a voice in his head: "Behind you!"  
Instinctively, he listened and turned. He felt a surge of pain on his right calf, and then a punch landed on the hollow of his back. He had felt it, but it was not powerful enough to cause him to lose balance. He turned, stamping his foot, which did not touch the target. The demon was gone.  
"Look up!"  
"Oh I see," 'said the Grand Demon King. "You know communicate thought, do you not? It may be practical. I'll admit that..."  
"It looks like he guessed it, I'll have to give him the secret blow, I'll tell him to look exactly the place where I'm coming! It will not look, and I can claim the victory!' Beelzebub thought.  
"I can read minds also, so to speak. Do not try to tell me what direction you come next time, because I will counter it.”  
"That can't be true! How are you doing this!?" Beelzebub was completely surprised.  
“I guess you can also read my mind, which explains how you managed to avoid a few shots ... Well, I just have to speed up, or not think about my battle strategy!"  
He complied. He thought of several good moments in his life, such as his domination of the Earth, while channeling his energy into his arms and his hands, which gleamed yellow in color.  
He pulled in front of him, holding his right arm. He voluntarily launched his hand at the foot of Beelzebub, to make him jump, and he did. With his other hand, Piccolo pulled towards his enemy. He could not fly and was going to be burnt to a crisp by the attack.

But the little rose devil still had a few surprises! He opened his mouth wide while the energy ball hurtled straight towards his head and took a deep breath to swallow ... the attack!  
He did not keep it long in the mouth, it slightly burned his tongue! Beelzebub spit the fireball down to his opponent. Surprised, Piccolo did not avoid.  
After the explosion in the ring and the smoke has cleared, the Great Demon King Piccolo stood erect, his shirt torn slightly, his skin burned slightly in some places.  
"Not bad ... But even if the attack would have killed you; it hardly fazes me."  
Piccolo flew quickly into the idea of hitting Beelzebub foot. Beelzebub couldn't fly, so he could not avoid the attack to which he freaked out! To which the great King of Demons was satisfied.  
The blow was powerful, sending Beelzebub crashing into the ring, completely burying his head while his legs were in the air. The countdown began, but after ten seconds, Beelzebub ceased to be buried like an ostrich. He staggered, looking up his opponent, and fell on his back, unconscious. The countdown resumed and the time reached thirty seconds without any further movement of the young demon.  
"Winner of the round, Great Demon King Piccolo of universe 3!"  
"I am displaying an infinite amount of kindness to have let a little mosquito like you live," the demon Piccolo commented. "But on the other hand, with no survivors, who will attend my triumph?"  
He took a few steps into the ring and quickly found himself upside down, eyes on the shelves of other universes, which in his view, was now the ceiling. The universe 7 ... His next opponent was a, Namek. And not just any Namek... it was like him, the Great Satan yet at the same time he was different.  
They had many things in common: they were two Super Nameks, two incredible warriors. And the King of Demons also had nothing in common with him. Gast had not absorbed Piccolo.  
Piccolo returned to his room when several characters from the universe came for 2 Beelzebub. A Namek trainer came at the same time, and began his care, placing his hand on the chest of the demon. He woke up a few seconds, but remained on the ground.  
"It's a pity you did not have time to make use all your powers!" Theif consoled him.  
"Yes, but I'm not sure it would have changed anything, he was incredibly strong."  
"You were great anyway!" Paifu said. "And you're a great demon! Its super bad snacking between meals!"  
"Thank you ..."  
After two minutes of care, Beelzebub was now in better shape. He rose, and with his friends and fans, regained his space in Universe 2. Like many others, he had now become a spectator, like the beautiful Mary Sue, or monkey Sun Wukong.  
"I'm glad I ran into him anyway, " confessed Beelzebub. "If I had been Stronger, I would have not almost been killed. I still have the opportunity to see if any of those four are a demon like my father."  
"I could come as well right?" asked Paifu.  
This would allow him to follow his idol at the time, and meet another demon.  
The facilitator Varga, armed with his microphone was aided by one of the world Nameks on a small levitating circular platform whether through the use of magic or science. Regardless of whichever the spectators were expectantly listening.  
“This is the end of the first round! Congratulations to all participants! We will briefly tell you the list of fighting match-ups for the next round!”  
In the stands, the crowd cheered the news with enthusiasm.  
“First, we have Nappa of universe 13 who easily defeated his first opponent matched up against Freeza of Universe 8.”  
As the crowd applauded, Nappa and Freeza glanced at one another, both contemptuous of the other.  
“Son Goku of Universe 18 who also quickly defeated his opponent, will be matched against # 17 of Universe 14.”  
Goku looked to the world of cyborgs, smiling. His future opponent smiled too.  
“Then we have the representative of the universe of the organizers, the South Kaioshin against Majin Buu of Universe 11.”  
The Kaioshin raised his arm, smiling. Majin Buu applauds itself in merriment.  
“The fight after that would have been Uub of Universe 18 against Nail of universe 10, but due to the latter having forfeited Uub will pass this round without a fight. Nonetheless congratulations!  
The audience applauded and followed the leader varga’s announcements.  
“Trunks of the universe 12, who has conquered the universe Coola 8 will fight Vegeta of18 who beat his opponent of universe 10!”  
Spaces 12 and 18 were somewhat distant from one another, but the father and son glanced toward one another. It was a match that they were waiting for with great anticipation.  
“Pan of universe 18 will fight Kakarot of universe 13! Our informants tell me that this is actually a counterpart of her own grandfather! An interesting prospect I would say.”  
Pan grinned this announcement. Nothing had to be said, as Pan kept her worries bottled up inside. Kakorot though smiled sadistically. A warrior or a teenager, mattered little to him, he would fight the same way!  
“Cell of the universe 17, who gave us a good fight against Dabra of universe 11 will face Bojack of universe 6! As you all may remember he defeated and killed the young Pan universe 16! Will he kill again his next opponent as well?”  
"Without a doubt," thought the person.  
“With the first half of the match-ups listed, now we have on to the second half. Tapion of universe 3, did not fight in the first round and will be matched against the universe 9 Kulilin who showed us that despite age, our fighters can give their opponents a hard time!  
“Ha ha! Old!” Yamcha laughed.  
“Vegetto universe 16, who retained the terrible Broly of universe 20 will be matched against the mysterious XXI of the universe 5 who, uh, has not yet seen! Then comes the turn of # 18, who passed onto the next round thanks to the resignation of the universe 9 Yamcha who dominated the fight. Her opponent will be Arale who beat the lovely Mary Sue of the Universe 2!”  
“N'cha!”  
“Gotenks of universe 18, who narrowly defeated his double in the universe 16 will face off against Nekomajin of the universe 2, who has not fought before!”  
“No! Do not go! This is not your turn, it's just a reminder!” Sun Wukong shouted the blue cat getting ready to step into the ring tiny.  
“Buu of universe four will face off against Tenshinhan the universe 9!”  
"The question is how to make this fight from super-easy to fun, “ Buu mocked. “The technology of Universe 19 gave some surprises, but still.  
“Bra of universe 16 will face off against the ruthless Eleim of universe 19! With King Cold of universe 8 facing off against Baddack of universe 3 shortly after. Surely a match of this combat level will be exciting!  
Cold looked to the space of Universe 3, but did not see Baddack. Was he hiding?  
“The final bouts will be Raichi of universe 3 competing against Vegeta of universe 13 and Gast Carcolh of Universe 7 pitted against Demon King Piccolo Grand universe 3! How will a fight between two warriors Nameks turn out? We'll find out tomorrow! We hope that you will all be there!  
The audience in the stands seemed to explode with joy while shouting and whistling.  
“To our fighters: We will take a break from noon, you can sleep, eat, and enjoy your living space. To our audience, our shuttles are available to take you into the large luxury hotels in our universe!”  
The public began to pour out, while at the same time, the Nameks and Vargas joined the Kaioshins to space 1 to discuss the first day of the tournament.  
One of Vargas had already begun to make his report, beginning with a list of successes of both worlds:  
Success rate in the 1st round world:  
Universe 1: 1 win = 100%  
Universe 2: 2 wins, 4 losses = 33%  
Universe 3: 4 wins = 100%  
Universe 4: 1 win = 100%  
Universe 5: 1 win = 100%  
Universe 6: 1 win, 4 losses = 20%  
Universe 7: 1 = 100% win  
Universe 8: 2 wins, 5 losses = 28.6%  
Universe 9: 2 wins, 2 losses = 50%  
Universe 10: 1 win, 7 losses = 12.5%  
Universe 11: 1 win, 1 loss = 50%  
Universe 12: 1 win, 1 loss = 50%  
Universe 13: 3 wins, 1 loss = 75%  
Universe 14: 2 wins = 100%  
Universe 15: 1 loss = 0%  
Universe 16: 2 wins, 2 losses = 50%  
Universe 17: 1 win, 1 loss = 50%  
Universe 18: 5 wins = 100%  
Universe 19: 1 win, 2 losses = 33%  
Universe 20: 1 loss = 0%  
“This is information needs to be amended,” continued the purple Varga, “…seventy-two percent of the fighters from the Earth, ie thirteen of eighteen, won their matches. They are divided into six worlds.”

The Varga paused before continuing:  
“There were two matches between two fighters of the same universe, the universe in the first eight Freeza opposed to Jeece who left immediately. The second two fighters opposed to the Universe 2: Mary Sue and of Arale. The latter beat his opponent in a single blow. Strangely, the coincidence gave us three bouts against a fighter of the universe 10 to another universe 18, all of whom have won hands down.  
The South Kaioshin spoke:  
“This universe 18, perhaps should be wary ... They had the greatest number of victories ...” he trailed off.  
“Of the six worlds with a single participant,” the varga finished for the Kai. “…two did not pass the first round.”  
“This I'k'l? The son unborn? As well as the Legendary Super Saiyan?” the Kaioshin of the East asked for clarification.  
“Absolutely. Also, the universe 10 is the one that scored the absolute worse. With only one win and seven defeats, they all abandoned. Not to mention the incident with the universe 20, we counted three dead and several wounded.  
“Apart from this incident, we can say that this tournament went well,” interjected the beautiful West Kaioshin.  
“Finally, for the dead during games ... Tidar of universe 19, Son Pan of Universe 16, the universe 8 Sauza, Zangya of Universe 6, Syd, also of universe 6, and the Cell Junior of universe 17, which makes a total of six people, over sixty-four fighters, or 9.375% ...  
There will probably be more in the future. They all will be resurrected at the end of the tournament as expected, “ the Grand Kaioshin commented.  
The Varga continued his report for a while; speaking kitchens, spectators, and a whole bunch of other more or less vital, always punctuated by percentages.  
The first third of the audience had already left. Few fighters still wandered about, but soon that would change. From the moment one would first dare to leave their room to talk with another universe, others would follow soon.  
In the worlds of 18 and 16, and Goten bickered gently. The first was disappointed that other peer grandfather's second appeared, stronger by far than the universe 10. There was no visible Grandpa Vegeta who was powerful. This was a great argument for Goten to annoy his friend.  
“And if we went to see mine?” Goten suddenly proposed.  
“If you want,” simply replied Trunks.  
Goten turned to his father to ask him a question. “Hey, Dad, you wanna come see Baddack of universe 3?”  
In the universe 16, Vegetto laughed at and refused royally. In the universe 18, Son Goku agreed to accompany his son. After all, this Baddack there was obviously more interesting than the other, even if it did not change anything in the background: Goku only had one grandfather and he was a Terran.  
“Come on, Gohan?”  
The man in the white shirt looked first at his wife, then his daughter. The first did nothing wrong, the second was quite enthusiastic to see her great-father in a more cool way than she had herself miserably beaten interested. So it was a family they headed for the space 3.  
When Trunks and Goten of universe 16 saw Gohan and Videl from the eighteenth to the group, they asked them a question. Gohan failed to respond when she stopped him:  
“I would like to talk to you about something ... Just between us.”  
Gohan hesitated for a moment before looking his wife in the eyes. It was important, he saw it. He knew. Then he politely declined the invitation of his younger brother and his friend, who departed running into space 3, joining the group of universe 18.  
Baddack was not there, he had not emerged since the end of the fight. Raichi spoke with Tapion, while Piccolo was backed up to the wall. Son Goku waved his hand, but the demon did not answer. Maybe he didn’t not know?  
“Leave this place,” Raichi said as they passed the wall of the balcony of the universe 3. You're not welcome. “Get out of here. Our world is polluted enough without your breed that we don’t need you adding to it.”  
“You must got something to blame on your Saiyans?” asked Gohan.  
“Gentlemen, um, I do not know who you are in your universe,” 'replied the young pointed ears Tapion . “But the Saiyans are a race of oppressors who have done much harm to our universe and others as it seems.”  
“The Saiyans are the worst kind that the world has ever known!” Raichi broke in.” Genocidal and lawless Barbarians, ready to kill whole populations for pleasure! They eliminated my people who had always given assistance and consideration to others! Subsequently, they have decimated numerous planets!  
“We're all sorry for you, but we’re different from them, different from those of the universe 10, or even 13, Gohan replied.”  
“A Saiyan remains a Saiyan.” The scientist stubbornly remarked.  
“We come from the earth,” Son Goku intervened. “I lived there since I was a little baby. Goten and Gohan are my sons,” he said, showing them his hand in an act of friendship. “Their mother is a human.”  
“I too am human Videl,” added in turn.  
“The Saiyans which you speak are all dead in our universe, sixty years ago. There are only two survivors,” specified Gohan.  
“I already see more than two before me.” Raichi pointed out.  
“We are Earthlings, sir,” interrupted the young Pan. My mom is human and I went to school on Earth. “We have nothing to do with the original Saiyans who killed your friends!”  
No one added a word for a moment until Tapion laughs broke the atmosphere:  
“Sir! Aha! She called you on that one sir!”  
Raichi grimaced. But he had to admit that no Saiyan would ever have uttered such words. It was far too diplomatic and respectful to them. He had to believe the story of the universe 18. But deep down, he thought the same thing: Saiyan pure strain, or lesser breeds, they should be eradicated.”  
“And what is your wish if you win?” Trunks asked again.  
“The extermination of all Saiyans in the universe,” Raichi said under his breath without even looking.  
“Even we?” Goku added.  
“Without the slightest hesitation.”  
“Hey! Pan said, “we are not insects to simply exterminate like nothing! My parents have even saved the world, no the universe! The kind of vow you wish to partake is wicked! We’ve done nothing wrong.”  
“Done nothing?” Raichi questioned as he turned to face her. “Nothing? Hold it! The prince Vegeta, who has been hanging out with you from the beginning, is your friend, right? Do not lie, I feel sense nature. Maybe the people here haven’t murdered in cold blood, but someone like him has.”  
“He ... He made amends, “ Gohan weakly arguing, knowing deep down that the response was ridiculous.  
“I'm sure the billions of families killed are very comforted.” He dryly remarked.  
Pan began to tremble, and Gohan wrapped his arms.  
“Let’s deal away with this terrible atmosphere, Tapion tried to change the subject and answered in turn:  
“I’m here to revive my little brother! He died unfairly years ago and I miss him greatly. My wish would be to find a way to completely revive him. And you?  
“Hin hin,” Goten of Universe 16 said in a low voice. “We found it thee thy brother, and without hope.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“Oh, uh, I said, we’re sort of lost on that.” Goten continued before turning to the group in Universe 18.  
“We have not really thought about it,” Goku answered while laughing.  
“We are here for the tournament, not to follow any vow.” added Son Gohan.  
“Oh, I think,” Goku suddenly interrupted. “You’re next opponent is Kulilin of universe 9! It is imperative that I talk to him!  
Son Goku waved goodbye briefly before taking off: Meeting his father Baddack would have been interesting, but he could not wait any longer. It was too bad though.  
“Kulilin is an old friend of ours in our universe,” Gohan explained.  
“I understand,” Tapion replied warmly. “Do not worry, I'm not the type to kill my opponents in cold blood.”  
“No problem, Kulilin knows how to defend himself and leave when needed too. And not to mention the inhabitants of universe 9 seem even stronger than the ones we know. I do not know how strong you are, but I'm looking forward to this fight, like my father.  
“I'm not a fighter. I do not fight by force for things, but for the sake of my goal. I hope not to disappoint you and make a fair fight and interesting,” slightly bowed the young man.  
With these words, the group left. Gohan and his family joined his father who had almost reached the edge of Universe 9. Trunks and Goten, of both universes 16 and 18, spoke for a moment, before heading towards the space of Universe 2.  
Son Goku approached the space of universe 9, smiling gleefully. Kulilin and Tenshinhan were there, relaxing and talking together; Yamcha was next to them just listening. But when they saw the Saiyan from universe 18 approaching, they stopped, eying him with silent eyes, and waited.  
“Hi!” Goku said cheerfully. “I'm glad to see you all here!”  
Awkwardly, no one from universe 9 responded to his salutation. Goku, oblivious, quickly resumed talking to Kulilin.  
“So hey, it’s too bad the version of you from my universe didn’t come and participate in the tournament. I guess I should have insisted, but oh well. It would have been really neat for both of you guys to talk to each other. But your wife and daughter or, I guess, his wife and daughter, wanted him to stay.”  
The trio of warriors from universe 9 were each very surprised at the revelation. None could imagine their Kulilin being married.  
“I have a wife?” asked Kulilin.  
“Yep, it’s true. Though, it is in another universe. Let’s see...I know I saw her around here somewhere. Oh, there she is!” Goku pointed to number 18 after searching a second.  
“I can’t believe it!” Yamcha said, chuckling. “How could HE pull off marrying such a babe...unreal?!?”  
“Ahah!” said Videl. She had been casually listening, but suddenly peaked up. “I knew you were into her, Yamcha! You’re jealous!”  
“Hey there, Princess, don’t say things like that! Bulma is standing just inside! And I assure you my actions and intentions are honorable.”  
“Of course,” Videl replied sarcastically. “And I’m sure that if this number eighteen was ugly, old, and wrinkled, you’d have reached out to her anyway.” She rolled her eyes.  
“But isn’t she a little too young for me?” Kulilin said, noticing just how youthful and beautiful the wife of his counterpart, the cyborg # 18 of universe 14, was.  
“Don’t forget that she’s a cyborg,” Yamcha corrected his friend. “She probably hasn’t aged at all; if she’d only let me help her get some proper maintenance...”  
“Wait, so you've never seen her before?” asked Gohan of universe 18, who had just arrived with his wife and daughter.  
“No ...” Kulilin responded.  
“Hmm ... that’s strange. I guess things with Doctor Gero happened a lot differently in your universe. But you're a cyborg as well, Yamcha ... How did that happen anyway?”  
“That's actually a really long story ... but why don’t you tell us about yourself first. See, we know the Saiyans, and well, they were ... evil. We can tell both of you are Saiyans too, but you seem really good natured.”  
He was right. There were none purer than Goku and Gohan, if such a thing were even possible. Plus, there probably wasn’t anyone more naive than Goku either.  
“Yep, I am a Saiyan,” he replied. “But I landed on Earth when I was just a baby. I was found and raised by old Son Gohan, my grandfather.”  
“Son Gohan?” Kulilin and Yamcha said in unison.  
“You know him?” Goku asked.  
“Yeah, he was my martial arts master,” Yamcha replied.  
Goku thought quickly. If he had never landed on Earth, he never would have accidentally killed his grandfather ... which could perhaps explain how Grampa Gohan could be Yamcha’s martial arts teacher ... but Goku still had to guess how Yamcha and the others would have possibly met him ...  
“I suppose that Gohan taught you good manners?” Kulilin asked, quite interested.  
According to him, old Son Gohan was one of the few people that might have a strong enough caliber of character to turn someone with an evil nature into a good person.  
“He sure did. When I was just a baby I was apparently very violent and mischievous. But one day I fell on my head and after that I turned into a friendly little boy ...  
“That may explain the difference between you and the universe 13 Kakarotto,” Tien observed.  
“Without a doubt,” Gohan said. “That mad murderer obviously killed everyone on Earth. Who knows what kinds of twisted evil he caused before he was eventually found by the other remaining Saiyans.”  
The Earthlings of universe 9 began to reflect, comparing all the different scenarios. Every consequence was the result of an event that, if altered, could completely change everything about their world. A baby Saiyan who arrives on Earth could either make a universe of evil Saiyans or another full of good-hearted warriors. But if that baby never came to Earth to begin with, the Saiyans who eventually came would be defeated by Earthlings, as in their world ... It was all very interesting, considering all the ways things could have been changed.  
“So, how did you and I meet? asked Kulilin.   
“We were both trained by Muten Roshi.” Goku said, smiling as he remembered their many adventures.  
“Ah,” Kululin said.  
It made sense. Goku was raised by Son Gohan, who was, himself, a disciple of Muten Roshi. It was logical that they both met while under his tutelage.  
“How is he?” he asked again.  
“Who, Roshi? Well, he’s definitely still the same as always. I’ll say!”  
“I see ... so him being a pervert from one universe to another is the one true constant. Ha! Ha!”  
Kulilin was certainly glad to learn his old master was still alive in universe 18. And it was nice surprise that the Saiyans of universe 18 were trustworthy and good. But Kululin still didn’t know if he and this Goku could really be friends ... not after all he knew about Saiyans.  
“Now I’ve got a question. So did Yamcha ever meet a girl or anything? And, on an unrelated subject, uh, how’s Bulma?”  
“Smooth one, Dad.” Gohan added jokingly.  
“Yes, he did. And as for Bulma, she’s very well. In fact, she should be coming out here any second. I wonder what’s keeping them ...”  
Four people suddenly appeared, coming down the hallway which led to the apartment for space 9. Goku and Gohan had no trouble recognizing them, even if one of the four people looked quite a bit different than he did in their universe ... he was familiar but not quite the same.  
Bulma began talking to Videl, while the old Kaioshin, who had escaped from the Z sword, positioned himself behind the two lovely ladies where he could enjoy the view. Apparently, he had tried to hit on Videl and had been shot down. But that didn’t stop him from slyly observing.  
“Yo, Bulma!” Goku said, waving his hand.  
She suddenly turned, looking at him in surprise.  
“Yes, it seems they know all of us,” Kulilin explained, raising an eyebrow at the information.  
“Or almost,” Gohan interrupted, turning to the fourth character. “Trunks?”  
“Yes,” replied the young man, surprised at the tone of the ‘question’. It seemed that everyone except the universe to which he belonged knew why there was confusion.  
“So, you’re the son of Bulma and ...”  
Gohan voluntarily left his question open ended, waiting for somebody to respond. Yamcha smiled, answering by pointing with thumb to his face and smiling.  
“That’d be me. And speaking of which, I’ve been wondering something ... who is the father of this Trunks from universe 12? He resembles the one of your universe and universe 16?  
“Oh, right. They’re all the son of Vegeta,” Goku replied.  
The former desert bandit began to turn red with anger.  
“I knew it, the bastard!”  
“Me ... with a Saiyan? That’s awful! What did I do to deserve that?”  
“Don’t worry, Bulma,” Gohan quickly comforted. “In our world, you're very happy with him. He was bad for a while, but eventually he came over to the right side. You two have a daughter as well, she’s in our space over there ...”  
Bulma and Yamcha said nothing, looking over at Bra for a few seconds. Finally, Bulma smiled.  
“Oh, she looks nice ... but she isn’t participating?” Bulma asked.  
“No.”  
“Ours isn’t either. She wasn’t at all interested in fighting, much less a tournament. Actually, she didn’t even come,” the mother U9 Bra informed them.  
“But you, on the contrary, are more interested than your counterpart from our universe,” added Gohan.  
Bulma laughed, contemplating silly reasons why her counterpart of universe 18 might have stayed home.  
“Actually, I'm here ‘just in case’. You know without me Yamcha wouldn’t make it very far.”  
“Ha! Ha! It’s true. Bulma keeps me going—literally. Thanks to her, I'm better maintained than those cyborgs of universe 14. I’m in perfect working condition!”  
“Yes, you fought well,” Goku said, returning to the conversation. “It blew me away, actually! You're a lot different from the Yamcha I know! And not just in power, either.”  
“Ah, I was wondering if in your universe I was less powerful ... but oh well, as long as I'm alive! I am alive, right?”  
“Sure!” Goku said. Though Yamcha had died several times over the years, he and the others had been revived each time.  
Yamcha smiled. It was comforting to know he was alive. It put everything about universe 18 in a more positive light; the place now seeming much less ‘dangerous’. And, speaking of dangerous people, he had to save some. He looked over at the space of universe 14, where the two cyborgs # 17 and # 18 stood motionless. He decided to get to it right away.  
“Well, I’m off; gotta go see those two cyborgs of universe 14. You coming?” he asked his wife. Her technical advice regarding android technology might be the extra bit he needed to convince them.  
“Yes, I’ll go,” she said.  
Yamcha quickly left, hopping over the low wall between universes.  
“So hey, Tenshinhan, tell me about yourself!” Goku said. “Your strength was very impressive in your fight!”  
“Thanks, but I'm sure you would be bored...” he replied.  
“Ah, of course not,” said Goku. But the other two beside him stepped away.  
It wasn’t that they weren’t interested in Tenshinhan’s story, but Gohan and Videl wanted to discuss with another person. Videl nodded at her counterpart as they approached each other. Feeling lonely, Kulilin decided to go talk to the old Kaioshin and Trunks.  
For a few seconds neither Videl nor Gohan knew what to say. They had so many questions that they didn’t know where to start. And they simply couldn’t find a good foundation to start their conversation on.  
The warrior of universe 9 turned to her counterpart and her husband of universe 18, lastly noticing their daughter. She couldn’t immediately contemplate how all these things could have all been different for her. It was just a little difficult to imagine what might have happened. How did she fall in love with a guy who, though certainly well cut, did not seem like the type to enjoy fighting? If only she had known how incredibly powerful Gohan was she might have thought differently of him. Her counterpart was the same way, who clearly was not a fighter anymore, if ever, based on her clothing. In contrast, she had pledged that her life would be centered on combat and martial arts. However, those of the universe 18 seemed to prefer a quiet life in the suburbs. What happened to her that lead to such a stark contrast?  
“Your fight was great,” Gohan finally said. “I had no idea you could be so strong! I was wondering, what kind of training did you do?”  
“I had all the best teachers.”  
“Oh, hey! Do you have a daughter named Pan?” Gohan's daughter interrupted.  
“Pan? Uh, no, I have a son who is younger than you.”  
“So ... I have a little brother? You hear that, Mom?” she said with a smile, turning to her mom.  
“Uh, yes.”  
The information took her a bit by surprise. Videl was still wondering how and why this version of her had stayed in martial arts fighting, instead of living a peaceful life with her family. Plus, it was incredibly strange to see herself dressed that way.  
A son ... although she would never have traded her daughter for a boy, the idea of having a son was one she had contemplated many times. If nothing else, at least she had one in universe 9. Gohan had also dreamed of having a son, wondering what he would name the boy ... but he preferred to return to the original conversation topic.  
“So, how long have you known the Kaioken?” he asked.  
“More than twenty years ... I learned it pretty early on so I could keep raising my strength.”  
“She forgot to say that it was mainly to train me more quickly, right dear?” Trunks said, approaching the group.  
“Oh, so you’re strong too? Being the son of Bulma, that actually doesn’t surprise me.”  
“Well, with regards to fighting. I'm a little off my game lately. But I was pretty good, yes. I never made it past Kaioken times ten though.”  
“Kaioken, eh? You mastered it too?”  
“Yeah.”  
“But who taught you how to use it?”  
“Master Kulilin and Master Tenshinhan.”  
“Ah, I see. But then, who did they learn it from?”  
“A Kaio, the one who created it.” Trunks replied.  
It was logical, of course. It meant they both had died at some point, at a time when the Earth was being threatened ...  
“Well, I hope you win your match,” Videl said to her counterpart’s daughter. “Pan, be careful. The Saiyans are cruel; they aren’t going to give you an easy victory. Do you know the Kaioken?”  
“No ...” she sullenly said.  
“See, I’m the daughter and granddaughter of Saiyans. My grandfather, who kind of leads our group, won’t teach me. Instead, he wants me to unlock the Super Saiyan transformation.  
“That thing with golden hair?” asked Trunks.  
“Yeah,” Pan muttered.  
“Well, I sure hope you don’t turn out like that other Pan ...”  
Everyone froze, silent. The remark might have seemed cruel, but it was justified.  
“Well, Bojack was immensely stronger than the opponent you fought,” Gohan had said to Pan.  
The thought of him scared her. “Even when that other me was a Super Saiyan, she still lost.”  
“It definitely wasn’t a lucky matchup,” Videl of universe 9 said softly.  
“And this Kakarotto, how strong is he?” Trunks asked, interested in the upcoming fight of his half-daughter from another universe.  
“Well we don’t really know. They say they are the ‘Super Saiyans’... it’s possible he could be as strong as dad, I guess ... even if Pan became a Super Saiyan, Kakarotto has way more battle experience ...  
“Hey, Dad ... can I go talk to universe 16?” Pan suddenly asked, running off before the answer came.  
Gohan barely noticed, but nodded "yes" at her as she ran off, his typical fatherly approval given without much thought to what she was doing.  
“See ya later, Mom!” Pan said, not to her real mother but to the Videl of U9  
Videl was a little embarrassed but she still smiled and waved bye to Pan. The girl then happily skipped over to the space belonging to universe 16.  
“So Videl, tell me about your training,” her counterpart of U18 asked, quite interested.  
After the discussion about his daughter and her match against Kakarotto, Son Gohan was surprised that Videl would be so light-hearted or even talk about fighting. But he was insightful: in both cases, he could guess why such a reaction occurred—she missed it, at least a little.  
The couple ended up staying and discussing things with Trunks and Videl for quite a long while, thinking of all the ways their stories were linked. Nearby, Goku continued to talk with Tenshinhan, who, as he got to know the Saiyan better, one minute at a time, relaxed his prudence and suspicion; perhaps the two could become friends after all!

Yamcha then arrived at the area of the cyborgs. On the way, he continued pondering those he had met from universe 18. Perhaps later he would ask them some more questions, like where they lived or who they lived with. But now that he had gotten to the space of universe 14 he focused only on the cyborgs. He smiled over at # 17, stretching forth his hand. But the cyborg never even glanced at him and simply replied without moving.  
“You wouldn’t have defeat me.”  
Yamcha was once again amazed at the totally unsociable reaction he received. He almost began to argue, but restrained himself at the last moment: having a quarrel with them wasn’t going to help anything. It was really his only good idea.  
Still, Yamcha was not stupid, and he was full of good intentions. What he wanted was to be a wise master, like Son Gohan, who could bring someone back to the right side. If his former master, Gohan, was the expert, though, Yamcha was clearly still the young pupil. He had not been able to learn everything he should have in his training.  
Number 17 didn’t know how it was possible that this Yamcha seemed to care about him, or why the annoying warrior would believe he could trust them. It was awkward, as he and his sister mostly ignored him, as well as occasionally throwing in some ridicule. He kept preaching anecdotal stories, many of which couldn’t have possibly been true, in hope that the androids would be convinced. But it was in vain—and worse when they realized that none of his stories made any sense!  
The cyborgs were proving extremely difficult to convince ... perhaps even impossible. For many years, decades, they had lived alone, killing everyone in their path. They were murderers, without a shred of humanity. Everything about them was completely different from Yamcha, as well as their android counterparts from universe 16 and 18, none of whom had attended the tournament. Were Yamcha’s attempts to save # 18 doomed to failure from the start?  
Eventually Yamcha decided to leave them be for now, planning to return later. # 17 hardly noticed that he even left and # 18 just continued sitting there, staring blankly off into space. Maybe after losing in the tournament they might be more willing to hear him out.  
To that end, Yamcha planned to return and see how they were doing at the end of the second round.  
Ever since she had been very young, Pan had possessed a passion for fighting; a gene inherited from her Saiyan origins. At the tender age of four, she competed in her very first tournament. Subsequently, she wanted to participate in the next one as well, but her elders prevented her as, supposedly, she was much too strong. Nobody else in her family was even involved with it anymore. In fact, when they had participated in the tournament, just before the appearance of Babidi, it was only because her mother had insisted on seeing Gohan participate. Additionally, Son Goku had the opportunity to have a day on Earth, which had gotten everyone else interested. Ten years later, Goku competed again when he felt the presence of Uub. Goku’s participation in the tournament was followed by Vegeta and their sons Trunks and Goten. But since then, nothing. Pan knew that if no one who competed had a link with the Z fighters and the Saiyans themselves decided not to participate in tournaments during their senior years, she would win every time. She wanted a victory, to be a champion like both her grandfathers. But she also knew that it would mean nothing if all she had to compete against was the "human" normal.  
Pan was limited to training and friendly matches against Uub; she didn’t bother to fight Goten or Trunks though, as both were quickly overwhelmed by the young disciple of Goku. When she was four and he was ten, Uub had greater physical strength than she did, perhaps even more than Goten or Trunks, but he did not have her skill or technique. In a match back then, who knows who would have won? But since then, Goku had taught Uub many things, and he had really progressed. Today, Uub had become stronger than even Piccolo, that was certain.  
Initially, the multiverse tournament seemed like a great idea to advance, but she was quickly disillusioned. Though her first opponent was easy, the second already seemed impossible to beat. Her next fight would be against Kakarotto of U13, her grandfather from an alternative universe, a demonic version of the same person, a ruthless warrior who had a huge advantage over her: Super Saiyan. She wanted more than anything to get it soon, but in spite of her efforts she just hadn’t been able to attain it.  
Pan left her parents, who continued discussing things with those of universe 9, and headed in a gleeful run towards the sixteenth. Bra was there, and the young girl really wanted to talk to her. But on the way, she accidentally came face to face with her next opponent. She jerked to a halt and slowly looked up at the towering figure. He stood straight; with his black armor with gold epaulettes, he looked like an unshakeable giant. However, the most striking features about him were his eyes: gems of icy contempt. His smile, nearly as bad, was that of a crazy, sadistic psychopath.

Impressed, but even more scared, Pan tried to remain friendly (perhaps to avoid being killed without understanding):  
“Uh…hh…hi!”  
Kakarotto froze in his statue-like pose, for what seemed like a very long time, before replying:  
“I'm not your grandfather. Now get out of my sight, girl.”  
Pan did not move for several seconds, too frightened to even move. One wrong word and he might kill her on the spot, and she was convinced he could too! She thought about her U16 counterpart, killed by Bojack, and those thoughts gave her the strength to react ... perhaps even survive.  
Slowly, she took one step to the side, then a second, and continued until she was sure she was around Kakarotto. She almost felt like she was going crazy as she quickly ran behind him. But Kakarotto didn’t give her a second glance and simply went his way. As he continued, his gaze crossed with that of Son Gohan, who paused and stared right back.  
Pan finally arrived at the space of U16, where she felt safe immediately: the presence of Bra, not to mention Vegetto, an invincible warrior, and of course her father from an alternate world, reassured her. She sighed in relief, smiling, then went to the daughter of Vegetto who noticed her coming right away.  
In her own world, she and Bra were not great friends, but the universe 16 Bra had a different look that made her even more uncomfortable. She did not really know what it was but she tried not to think about it when she approached and started talking:

“I was wondering ... if you could tell me how I became a Super Saiyan in your universe?” Bra said nothing for two seconds, then replied:  
“I should have known, you are much weaker.”  
This sentence left a space of silence between the two girls. But, when in retrospect, Bra thought about her niece, now dead, she reconsidered:  
“Very well, let’s sit down, I'll tell you.”  
Pan smiled. If she could learn how her counterpart ascended, she was convinced she could do it too. Beating Kakarotto would no longer be impossible.

Buu was bored, walking around waiting for his meal to arrive. He had currently stopped and was congratulating Cell, sarcastically, on making his strongest junior yet. Obviously, he was laughing: all that effort for nothing, and in addition, a portion of Cell’s true power had been brought to light, at least those who noticed the deception.

Cell, seemingly unphased, was not talkative but rather suspicious. He knew that the Djinn was dangerous, and he seemed to have a power regeneration completely superior to his own.  
The discussion wasn’t going anywhere, so Buu quickly left; next passing the area for U18 and receiving the salvation of the young Uub, then arriving at the space of universe 19. Buu stopped and looked at all the warriors in armor, each one glaring back intensely. Xeniloum was there too. He had regained consciousness and put on some light clothes, with his old armor over them; the set he had when they first arrived. He must have felt naked without protection. In his eyes, there was both resentment and fear. Without his "Ultra" armor, he clearly felt very weak.  
Happy to be the object of their full attention, Buu decided to amuse himself for a moment, taunting his opponents:  
“What’s wrong? Too afraid to leave your corner? Everyone else is out and about, meeting the other contestants and getting to know one another!”  
“Leave us alone!” Naurb cried immediately.  
“Oh, calm down! I'm here as a friend, unless you are plotting against me to recover your beautiful armor?”  
Nobody said anything, as if they had all just been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.  
“It doesn’t matter,” said Buu, “I don’t even blame you one bit. I'm very glad you all are so worried what I’ll do with your little suit.”  
“Soon you won’t be laughing! It's still safe!” Xeniloum grunted, his fist raised forwards.  
“Sure,” Buu chuckled. “In the meantime, you should join in all the fun. Don’t just stay in your cave.” With those words, the Djinn took the road to the unknown. Perhaps he might return to his assigned space, but who knows, maybe he would find someone to talk with about the good old days?

As he walked through the area of universe 1, Buu crossed paths with Trunks of universe 12. They looked at each other a few seconds without stopping. Neither knew the other. Perhaps the half-Saiyan would decide to talk with this warrior later, but for now, he wanted to go into space 2.  
He noticed very quickly that his two counterparts of 16 and 18 were sweet-talking Mary Sue, accompanied of course by Son Goten. It was clear from their poor attempts to hit on her that each wanted to be the first to go out with this sublime creature from another world. Unfortunately, it was impossible: how could they expect Mary Sue choose between identical twin copies? Nowhere else but here would that problem ever even arise: but, a woman as pure and innocent as she was, sweet Mary Sue saw it all in through the lens of budding friendship.  
Trunks looked away, much less interested than his two counterparts, to seek out the warriors with a sword. They were many, and it was interesting to talk about his style of fighting with people from different places.  
They began by introducing themselves and talking about the first time they had fought someone with a sword. Quickly, the warrior of universe 3 named Tapion joined them. He introduced himself to the others and then began to tell his story. All the others followed the pace: Crono spoke of his own experiences, particularly regarding time travel, which led Trunks to do the same. As they listened, everyone realized that they were all great heroes in their respective worlds.  
Their discussion continued on for a long while, but as they were all so engrossed, it seemed to them that it lasted only a few moments. All the stands were already empty, and a kind of platform space had grown inside of the space for universe 1. A Varga went up the steps and to the microphone, and then asked all participants and spectators to approach. Fifty participants and thirty spectators regrouped in front of the stage and waited for the announcements:  
“For dinner, we will put the tables where you want; you can mingle between universes if you wish.” Everyone cheered at the announcement. Soon, at the center of the arena, both round tables and square, big and small, were pushed rapidly together. It was time for everyone to choose his place.  
Overall, they didn’t mingle all that much. Several preferred to eat alone, such as Gast, Buu, the mother of I'k'l, Cell, and Baddack. Others, specifically groups 8, 9, 11, 13 and 19, preferred to stay in the bubble of their own universe. Bojack and Bujin took a table together, and the three girls of u6 chose the same; surprisingly, only for the discerning eye, they selected a table right next to the two pirates. Similarly, but for more obvious reasons, Yamcha insisted on taking the table closest to universe 14.  
By mutual agreement, universe 16 and 18 joined to mingle together at one long table. Both Videls sat down next to each other, along with their husbands, both Son Gohans. Pan approached the two families and brought comfort to the ones who were in tears, particularly the Videl from universe 16.  
At the end of the table were Goku and Vegeta, facing each other, each prepared to compete over a bit of food if necessary. Trunks and Android 16 of universe 12 also joined. 16 sat at the opposite end of the table from Goku, with Trunks taking a seat next to Goku and across from both of the Gohans. He was finally able to solve his dilemma from the lunch break, whether he should join universe 16 or universe 18 to talk about the past.  
Beside Trunks sat Vegetto, and, further down, the last seat was filled by Uub. He would have preferred to be closer to his Bra, but whatever. Trunks and Goten of universes 16 and 18 clung to Mary Sue, trying to sit at the same table as she... but in vain. Bra forcefully intervened, exasperated by their embarrassing behavior. In a true Bulma moment, she jerked them down at another table, which neighbored the large table of universe 12, 16 and 18. Both Piccolos remained in their respective areas, standing idly by as they observed everyone.  
When Goku noticed that Cell was doing the same, he cried:  
“Hey, Cell! Don’t be a loner, come and eat with us!” Immediately, all his friends frowned at him, saying:  
“That’s cruel!”  
“What did I say?” he asked innocently. Cell didn’t even budge an inch.  
Very quickly, the Vargas took the orders for each person. This time, to the relief of everyone in the kitchen, they had planned to prepare the right amount and distribution went without a hitch.  
The meal lasted nearly two hours; everyone was talking and laughing, with the exception of a few sticklers watching silently on the sidelines. During the meal, one could observe the incessant failed attempts of Yamcha, trying to attract the attention of the cyborgs, who continued shooting their eyes elsewhere. One might also have noticed the three prudent girls from universe 6, listening carefully to Bojack and Bujin. There were many interesting sights to see. Once, Nappa wanted to eat a big piece of meat, but Kakarotto had apparently claimed it already. Being busy cutting another dish with cutlery, Kakarotto caught the bone in his teeth. Nappa pulled with all his strength, but in vain; he was never able to recover the choice piece. A similar problem had occurred at the table of Bra, Trunks and Goten. The two boys from u16 wanted a certain plate garnished with a delicious sauce, but Bra wouldn’t let them have it. Unable to get what they wanted separately, they had gone into hiding in their space, merged, and come back stronger. But it was in vain without turning Super Saiyan; Gotenks still couldn’t wrestle the sauce away from Bra, much to the amusement of the Trunks and Goten from universe 18. They didn’t know she was that strong! But this struggle for food was to be found in the very genetic makeup of all Saiyans. In typical fashion, Vegeta and Son Goku almost began a duel for one last piece of sushi. Finally, they cut the piece in half by accident.

At the end of the meal, the same Varga went to make another announcement at the top of the same platform:  
“We'll dim the lights and go back to ‘night mode’. We wish a good rest to you all!”  
At the announcement, dozens of people got up from their tables to go rest. A few others remained behind continuing to talk, or to plot, such as the universe 8:  
“It seems they have several sets of Dragon Balls,” Freeza said. He sat on a stool, his arms crossed. Subtly, both Coola and his father turned their eyes to look at him.  
“Tonight, they will all be in our possession,” the youngest frost demon said with a smile.  
Over the next few hours, the groups gradually went to bed. There were only eight hours left before the resumption of the tournament, and everybody needed their rest. However, some were not as eager for sleep. Those of universes 12, 16, and 18 continued their discussions, and although the Cold family had left their space, they were not intending to sleep just yet. All members of universe 2 were throwing a party in honor of their two remaining members: Arale and Nekomajin. They drank, sang, and laughed uproariously. Beside them, the Kaioshins gathered together to discuss once again the tournament and its perks, while above them floated Namekians, cross-legged and close-eyed. The levitated quietly, as if carried by the air itself. Of course, they were not really sleeping. They were carefully taking in their surroundings, as any piece of information could be incredibly useful in the appropriate circumstance.  
Another Namekian was retreating to the shadows of his room after drinking several glasses of water. He had observed for a long time several groups where he had spotted people he knew, or had known. In particular, two copies of Vegeta were present now. One of them, the one from universe 18, seemed to have a different character than the one he had met long ago. At the same time he had met Vegeta he had met another alien named Kiwi. He recognized him in universe 8, as this villainous henchman had cost him a terrible sacrifice. This was a sacrifice he would undo by winning the tournament, he vowed.  
Gast was slowly walking up towards the room for his universe, while reminiscing of the era that was such a turning point for his people...

 

Planet Namek. 16 December, Age 762.   
At the time, life was peaceful on Namek. Any being in the universe could spend his retirement there without having to worry about anything other than his or her own well-being. Namek was a quiet heaven, a haven of peace which had followed a cataclysmic event where many Namekians had perished or fled to another planet...  
The population on this Namek was very low, but sufficient for their people not to die out. They worked the land to grow new trees and vegetables and gradually returned the planet to its former grandeur.  
It was rare that the Namekians would receive visitors. Even though they were well known in the universe, they kept to themselves and had not spread very far through the galaxy. It was an archaeologist of Freeza that had discovered their planet, and created dreadful plans for it. Of the visits they received, practically none showed up unannounced. On that day, a ship entered the atmosphere of the green planet and landed near a village. On board was a tyrant who reigned over that part of the universe with an iron fist, and was seeking even more power. He came for the dragon balls, for a wish for immortality. The inhabitants were doomed.  
Gast remembered perfectly every encounter with the tyrant. When he was only Nail, he remained in the company of the Grand Elder Guru, who could see what was happening on the entire planet. He could see a group of Namekians, and had to watch them die quickly, one after another. He felt the fear of the children when Freeza and his army had overrun the first village. He felt their pain when his children were brutally murdered, simply because they would not give up their dragon ball.  
The Grand Elder could sense it every time the demon moved on to a new village. Such cruelty could not be stopped. Even if the villagers had a desire to surrender the information to the devil, they stuck to their convictions. As a leader, and a father, he had a difficult decision to make. With difficulty, he opened his eyes, and rested them upon his most powerful son, Nail. Something had to be done, and soon. Nail was their only hope.  
Closing his eyes again, Guru spoke to his son:  
“The lives of our people go out... Nail... A terrible monster came to us...”  
He did not answer. He had felt the power of the terrible enemy.  
“I made my decision. I hesitated a lot, but I think it’s the only way to save us... Nail, you have to fight... but not alone. You must take my power.”  
The warrior’s eyes widened in amazement. He knew what this meant.  
“What do you say? You want to sacrifice yourself!?”  
“I have not much more to live anyway, at least I’ll be useful...”  
“Do not say that! There must be another way!”  
“There may be. There always is. But not one that can insure the lives of all of our people. Who knows, in another reality, a passing traveler could save us. But now, I am choosing to act.”  
“Grand Elder, I cannot do that!”  
“Why not? In you, I will live much longer... and perhaps we will save our people.  
“I’m going to face him alone. It is my duty.”  
“Then you’ll die in vain... Nail... Your mission is to protect us all... Come my child...”  
Nail hesitated, then stepped towards his elder.  
“Accept this gift, and you will be the salvation of us all.”  
Nail let the Grand Elder place his big hand on his head. Tears began to stream down his cheeks when, within seconds, his father had disappeared from his throne only to become an infusion of energy, his complete knowledge, his entire being, and even his soul.  
With this merger, Nail become much more powerful, and his body changed slightly. He had gained power, but the trade-off was costly: without Guru, the dragon balls would be useless. The Grand Nail was a fighter.  
His tears began to dry, and after a few seconds of quiet meditation, he left the hut and flew quickly to the second village that Freeza’s army had ransacked.  
The village chief was wounded. He was of the few survivors of a massacre that had taken just minutes. He was on trial in front of his house for the object that Freeza desired: the five-star dragon ball.  
As the evil lord approached him, he said in a resigned voice, “You can take it... even with all the dragon balls, you will never have your wish anyway...”  
As Dodoria approached him, the luminous glow dazzled brightly. When they could see it again, the dragon ball had lost its beauty. It was now simply a round stone.  
“What have you done? You think you can stop me from getting my wish like that?” cried Freeza from his vehicle.  
“Master, it seems that all the balls have changed!” intoned Zarbon.  
“No...”  
The village elder fell to his knees, the dragon ball still in his hands.  
“Lord Guru... has left us”  
“Stop your tricks now!”  
“You don’t understand!” came the agonized cry of the Namekian, causing Freeza to finally look him in the eye, “It’s over, there are no more dragon balls! You’ll never have your wish!”  
“Right, we’re going to kill the last villagers one by one, before your eyes. Let’s see if you change your mind!”  
The Namekian did not move. He lowered his head. It didn’t matter what happened to him now, and he had no power to stop this monster.  
Dodoria had already approached him. Should he just beat him until he did something? Whatever... he was just one village chief, he would end his life now. The pink creature grabbed his neck and squeezed hard with three fingers. He started to smile. Suddenly, a beep emitted from the strange device over his left eye. He let go and turned around. Someone powerful was rapidly approached, and his arrival would be soon.  
Nail landed in the village center, then walked to the body of one brother and son. He was a warrior like him. He had tried in vain to defend his village... perhaps if Nail had accepted Elder Guru’s gift earlier, maybe he would have arrived in time.  
Around him, several soldiers from Freeza’s army turned to him, weapons in hand, ready to shoot. Grand Nail gritted his teeth in anger. He clenched his fists before attacking the soldiers, the closest he killed in one fell swoop. The ones further had time to register his strength on the scouter, and were immediately terrified. Many tried to flee. Nail flew up high, before firing several beams of energy which soon overtook the soldiers and exploded, spraying the dust into the air.  
“How dare you, killing my children?!” he cried turning towards Freeza and his bodyguard..  
“Well, this one is stronger than the others... I’m on it, Master Freeza!” shouted Dodoria proudly as he held his palm into the sky toward Grand Nail.  
The latter shook his fist again and let his strength flow through it. Below him, the scouters exploded, injuring the eyes of some of the wearers. Dodoria didn't even have time to wonder how the Namekian was so strong before an energy attack had perforated his armor and pierced his heart.  
Blood dripping from his mouth, Dodoria exhaled his last breath as he fell to the ground.  
“He killed Dodoria so easily... his strength must be greater than that of the Ginyu Squad!” said Zarbon as he stood next to Freeza.  
The green-haired warrior knew he was outclassed, and dreaded his lord’s command for help. In fact his cry was somewhat of a subtle plea, informing Freeza that if he wanted his enemy slain he would have to do it himself.  
Instead of that, however, Freeza calmly said, “Amazing, really amazing. Would you like to join my elite army?”  
“Leave immediately...” retorted the Namekian, “Otherwise I will have to kill you, too.”  
Freeza floated out of his vehicle.  
“Incredible... you deserve a lesson. Do you know my power? It is of...”  
Freeza did not finish his sentence. Nail had disappeared from the sky to suddenly reappear before him and land an incredible kick to his face that knocked him several feet away.  
Zarbon and the few warriors of Freeza’s army that remained we stunned. It was the first time they had seen their lord take a hit!  
“Bastard!”  
Freeza was angry, and he would give a lesson to the arrogant Namekian. He concentrated his strength and transformed to his third reduced form in a second. His armor shattered into twenty pieces, his chest doubled in volume, and the muscles of his legs and arms, and finally his horns widened considerably. His horns now pointed straight up.  
“You’ll regret your actions, stupid Namek!”  
For a moment, the two warriors stood face to face, holding each others gaze, then Freeza charged at his opponent. Nail replied with an energy attack, but Freeza plowed through it unhindered. As he approached, the Frost Demon grabbed the collar of the Namekian and headbutted him so violently that it almost rendered him unconscious, then dealt him an uppercut that launched him into the sky. In one hand he quickly gathered energy before hurling it at the defenseless green man. His body battered all over fell heavily to the ground. A large wound in his chest illustrated his obvious death. Although known for their resistance, other Namekians had died from much less than that.  
Freeza landed with a smile. That was done. He turned to the rest of his army. Zarbon had picked up the second dragon ball which had turned to stone.  
“Let’s go find the other dragon balls. And if they don’t change back, I’ll destroy this stupid planet!”  
They flew off towards the location of another village, leaving only one survivor. When they had gone, the village leader stood up, and quickly ran to find the body of Nail.  
When the surviving villager had reached the right place, he found him sitting up, gazing at his hands.  
“Nail, is that you? You’re still alive?”  
“My regeneration has greatly improved...” he muttered before getting up.  
He had been beaten. Endowed with unprecedented power, he had believed he was powerful enough to defeat any invader. He had misjudged. He had been beaten, but was still alive, even if only out of sheer luck. He would pay for that error.  
He approached and rested a hand on the shoulder of the old Namekian.  
“I’m sorry my son... we thought we could repel the invader, but its strength was more than we thought...”  
“Lord Guru? You are within Nail? Nothing is lost then; this is only the beginning!”  
The newly-born Nail did not understand immediately.  
“Take my power. And the others’. We are all prepared to live within Nail in order to defeat this demon.”  
“What? No... you cannot do that...”  
How could he allow him to sacrifice himself?  
“We all prefer living in one sole Namekian than dying one by one!”  
Once again Nail had to admit that he was telling the truth, in fact it was obvious. He had lost the fight, and if nothing was done, they would all die. In addition, the strength of Freeza had greatly exceeded the estimates of Lord Guru, once he had transformed to gain power. Who knows if he didn't hide an even greater force? Something must be done.  
The former village chief tore his coat. The larger Nail steeled himself, and placed his hand on his son’s chest. With one last smile, he vanished, and became a part of Nail.  
He felt his essence, his life force, become one with him, but the memories of a lifetime among his own started to blend, individuality eventually blending and disappearing to form a small part of a cohesive unit.  
Once completed, Nail flew quickly to every village on the planet. He had in mind a speech, and a very specific proposal for each member of his great people.  
Freeza and his squad of soldiers had just found the third Namekian village, but strangely, it was empty. Still, it mattered little to them and they immediately headed to another village. Along the way, though, Zarbon noticed that the Nameks he had been detecting on his scouter began to disappear one by one. However, he decided not to say anything about it to his lord, who, since transforming, had become quite a bit more frightening.  
When they arrived at the fourth village, also deserted, Freeza began to get agitated. One small alien in his squad had been scanning the entire area, set to detect even the smallest force, but so far had found nothing.  
“Bizarre,” the alien said. “I finally found something, but it’s just one reading. Earlier there were over a dozen different signals.”  
“Keep looking,” ordered Freeza.  
After a few seconds where the small alien continued searching in every direction, he turned back to his master.  
“I can’t detect anything. Each of the villages we saw before have somehow disappeared completely. They don’t even show up on the scanner anymore!”  
“Yikes!” said another soldier. “So they are able to somehow hide from our detectors? Or maybe they just fled elsewhere?  
“Damn, they probably have telepathic powers and warned each other.”  
But Freeza’s face had begun to warp with anger. “I’ve had enough! I'm going to crush this planet!” said the tyrant, whose little remaining patience had just been spent.  
Suddenly, from above, a strangely familiar voice interrupted their discussion.  
“Destroy, kill, crush...destruction is all you know.”  
The confident voice spoke with a calm but threatening tone.  
“But as long as there is even one of my people alive, Namek is not destroyed!”  
Turning and looking in every direction, the alien invaders discovered the same Namek warrior from before, sitting on top of a mound of dirt.  
“Yours, on the other hand, ends here,” he concluded.  
“You again! My, you are annoying!” Freeza said, pondering this sudden turn of events. "Strange...I thought I killed him and yet he appears in perfect physical condition.”  
“Er...has he gotten taller?” asked one of the shorter soldiers.  
“The balls that you are looking for are now worthless,” the Super Namek said softly, still seated.  
“Cut the insolence and give us all the Dragon Balls! Now!” Freeza yelled.  
“Since you don’t seem to understand my warning, let me make it a bit more clear.”  
The Super Namek then stretched his hands forward. A few meters ahead of him a ball of energy appeared, which moved toward the center of the village then suddenly flashed in a ray of light that blinded everyone. Then, the attack broke apart, becoming individual energy blasts that targeted each member of the group of invaders. All but Freeza were instantly disintegrated by this strange and powerful technique.  
Stunned, Freeza didn’t even have time to see the members of his squad being ripped apart. Before he could, a powerful fist pounded the middle of his chest, sending him crashing against a rock wall, which then came tumbling down on top of him.  
Freeza got up slowly, revealing the burns he had received from the last energy attack. In the distance he now saw the remains of Zarbon's body, lying between two of the Dragon Balls he had been carrying. He gritted his teeth. That last attack was powerful enough to provoke both his wrath and his desire to pummel his opponent. 'I'd better take care of him in melee,' thought the tyrant.  
He rushed at full speed towards the Namekian giant, but the tall green man didn’t move until his opponent’s fist was mere inches from his face. With a swift stroke, he grabbed the hand of Freeza easily, stopping it as if he were catching a fly between his fingers. Freeza tried to get free by struggling with his other hand, but in vain. The Namek was simply too strong, and as he began to shake Freeza’s wrists the tyrant still couldn't break the hold. The invader was trapped. Although he tried with all his might to force himself out of it, it was all in vain.  
The Super Namek shook so hard that the tyrant was forced to kneel on the ground; being in such a humiliating position for the first time in his life made him furious. Instantly, he received a violent knee under his chin, followed by a punch in the stomach that made him fly away, landing with a heavy THUD on the ground.  
“Oh, you’ve made me angry this time! It’s time I reveal my true power!”  
Strangely enough, the Super Namek decided to allow it. He watched as Freeza’s face contorted, concentrating all his strength into the metamorphosis. First, the tyrant lengthened his shoulders. Then his head flung back, his nose disappearing and merging with his mouth, which stretched wide and grew forward. Now that it was finally over, Freeza smiled and floated into the sky.  
“Transform yourself again...as many times as you like. It won’t change anything,” the Namek said calmly.  
The enraged Freeza, now grinning, approached slowly, as if he wanted to fight in melee. But at the last moment, he pointed two fingers towards the Super Namek. He shot a purple beam of energy that flew at full speed towards his opponent. But at this distance and speed, the Super Namek couldn’t avoid them in time, so he instead crossed his arms defensively. Freeza maintained the barrage of quick shots, each one continuing to pound on the Super Namek’s protective block.  
But what Freeza did not notice was that his attack did absolutely no harm to the warrior. After several long minutes of relentless attacks to no avail, Freeza fired a bigger blast of energy that exploded on contact with the Namek. But with the sudden advantage of the smoke surrounding his arm, the Namekian extended it forward. The Frost Demon, taken completely by surprise, failed to dodge the unexpected attack. A powerful hand then gripped his face, the arm reaching great lengths as it stretched. Then it slammed him into another rock face, finally releasing him and allowing Freeza to fall to the ground.  
Freeza got up immediately, shouting, and rushed the Namek once more. But the Namek flanked him with a terrible kick in the face, causing him to fly off in the opposite direction.

He managed to recover in mid air, but immediately received a blow in the back and, before he could counter, another blow to the head which knocked him down. Still on all fours, the Namek rushed in and kicked him in the ribs, causing him to roll several meters. The Namek then walked casually over to where he lay. When he was close enough, Freeza sneakily tried to land a punch. But he was not even close to fast enough. His opponent grabbed his fist once more, overpowering him and forcing Freeza onto the ground again. He then fired a wave of energy directly into the monster through skin contact, searing him from the wrists to the elbows and making the tyrant scream in pain. He had never felt such frustration and humiliation. The Namek then flung a kick in his stomach, sending Freeza flying through yet another rock formation.  
A few seconds later Grand Nail felt another large increase in power. The earth shook and there was an explosion where the invader had last been seen. Then a puny being, one very different in appearance from the last two monstrous transformations, appeared. It looked altogether much weaker, but his arms were healed. Yet the Namek could tell that this form was hiding a lot of power.  
Freeza instantly charged the Namek, who did not defend himself, and landed a right hook to his cheek. The shot sent Grand Nail flying, but he stopped himself just short of falling into the ocean. Quickly regaining his balance, he looked up to see Freeza gaining altitude and pointing a finger at the sky. Then, above it, a small ball of energy appeared.  
Freeza was determined to finish it all in one stroke, without any more delay. He would have liked to draw things out and bully his opponent, making the Namek suffer and taking his time, but he had been too humiliated to allow him to live longer.  
The Namek just sat cross-legged on the surface of water and concentrated. He, too, was determined to finish this right now. He knew that Freeza was going to put all his energy into this latest attack. He would do the same. Around him, drops of green water floated up from the ocean and began to revolve around his body.  
“Die with your fucking planet!” Freeza cried, while the energy above his head expanded.  
“He who lives by the sword...shall die by the sword!” the Namek said softly, opening his eyes. “What...I can’t move!” Freeza cried, taken aback.  
He was about to launch his most devastating attack. He didn’t understand how he had suddenly been stopped. No psychic force had ever managed to contain him like this before! But, he had put all his strength into the attack, the force that was supposed to be the most powerful in the universe! It was impossible!  
“Go to hell!” The Namek finally yelled. He then flung the concentrated energy blast he had been charging at Freeza.  
“No, NO, NOOOO!” the tyrant cried, seeing the overwhelming blast zoom into view.  
The Emperor of the universe was reduced to dust at once, and as if that was not enough, his own energy ball above his head exploded in turn.  
And finally, for the first time in several hours, the Super Namek heaved a sigh of relief.

A few days later, a ship arrived. Curious, the newly formed Super Namek left immediately to meet whoever they were. When he arrived, he found it most perplexing that the ship was clearly of Namekian origins and was carrying three persons. Unlike the previous group, these all had light pink skin and, more importantly, didn’t emit an evil energy signatures. But Grand Nail was still wary. Why were these strangers arriving in a Namekian spaceship? With a great crash, his dark cape still whirling through the air above his head, he slammed into the ground on one knee, his right palm bracing against the Namekian soil. Instantly, two of the people fell to the ground, frightened by his mere presence. It was exactly what he wanted. The third, who had shot into the air out of shock, was merely hovering nearby.  
“Hello, Mr. Namek!” the small one said with a smile. He had begun to land, having apparently decided that he was no longer afraid.  
But the warrior ignored his salutation and immediately asked:  
“This Namekian ship, who did you steal it from?”  
“Uh? No-one, sir! It was given to us by another Namek!” the little bald man timidly replied.  
“Actually, now that I think about it, we didn’t exactly ask his permission” the child continued innocently.  
But after the recent attacks by Freeza, Grand Nail was unwilling to trust any visitors, presuming them all to be aggressive. He reasoned that these had to be a part of the same group as before, that it couldn’t be coincidence.  
“You'll pay for--”  
ZOOM! He suddenly stopped, feeling a force more powerful than these three approaching the planet. Then, almost immediately, a capsule ship streamed across the sky above him, crashing nearby.  
“Oh, no! It’s the Saiyan...it’s Vegeta!” the bald man said, clearly in fear. “Has he already recovered from all his injuries?”  
“And I sense another one following” the Super Namek said softly. “The beginning of a second attack?”  
“Mr. Namek, we’re not with him! He’s our enemy!” said the child.  
“He killed our friends, and one of them was Namek, just like you!” said the bald one.  
“Yes, and we came here to revive him!” ended the woman.  
‘Ah...allies then?’ the Namek thought. Interestingly, these people seemed to be referring to the Namek who had fled the planet before the great cataclysm! Unless they were all incredible liars.  
“You talk too much” retorted the Namek. “Let me read your minds.”  
But he didn’t expect them to agree to the suggestion. Surprised, he walked over and put his hands on the heads of the child, the bald man, and then the woman.  
After a minute of reading minds, the Namek came to the conclusion that their intentions were pure and sincere. “Ah, I see. An amazing story.”  
Pausing briefly, he began again. “There were Dragon Balls here, up until a few days ago! At that time, I was not the only inhabitant of this planet.”  
After a few long seconds of silence, the child spoke up, asking what had happened. For the first time in days the Namek had someone to talk to and, surprisingly, he was glad for the company. He proceeded to tell them the whole story of how the Nameks fought the invader, Freeza.  
“You're amazing! The Saiyan will have no chance against you!” exclaimed the bald Kulilin once the Namekian’s story was finished.  
The short earthling was very concerned about the presence of his former enemy, in addition to Vegeta’s new accomplice who seemed equally powerful. But alongside the Namek, whose power seemed like far overkill, he felt safe.  
“You can create new Dragon Balls, right?" the young woman asked.  
“Unfortunately, I am a warrior, and I lost some of my Namekian abilities...I can no longer make Dragon Balls...and neither can I have children of my own. Now, I am the last of the Nameks. I'm sorry about your wish. You have made this trip for nothing."  
The three Earthlings were silent for a moment, allowing the sad truth to sink in. It meant a lot to them.  
It was like their dream of making things right had suddenly come crashing down, a hope that in a few seconds had entirely collapsed. Reality, a harsh and different reality, had struck them hard. It was as if suddenly everything they had known was transformed into a world that only existed in their nightmares, a world where the dead could never be resurrected. It was at once clear to everyone: neither Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, Piccolo, or Kami-sama could ever return to Earth again.  
“We will return to Earth, then. Too bad.” Bulma said. She rose, followed by Kulilin and Gohan.  
“Say, Mr. Nail!” said the small boy. “You look a lot like Mr. Piccolo. I'll help you if I can!”  
“Thank you. But I'm not really Nail anymore.”  
He thought for a moment.  
I’ve decided to call myself Gast Carcolh.  
Gast accompanied them to the ship and even came onboard, wishing good luck to the Earthlings and see them off on their journey home. When they had finally left, he snuck up behind the two warriors who had been spying on him and the earthlings.

“I will take the spaceship of your ex-chief and go scour the universe in search of a solution to revive the Namekian people,” he said, putting a hand on the shoulder of each stunned man.  
“You should be quite familiar with how this works. Come with me or I kill you, understand?”  
Back at the tournament. Gast’s gaze was focused on the dark-haired warrior...this guy, the Vegeta of universe 13, looked just as unsympathetic as the one he knew. Yet when he looked at the one from universe 18, Gast found that his expression seemed quite different. Equally surprising was that he was there with the Namek’s own friend, Gohan.

Outside, everything had calmed down. Universe 2 had ceased their partying, and Universe 16 and 18 parted ways. Son Gohan was the first to enter into their rooms. There was no bed, but in the wardrobe was everything they needed: bed linens, duvets, mattresses, etc. Along with Uub, Pan, and Videl, Gohan began to unfold the sheets and mattress. But Bra preferred to let them take care of the set-up, deciding to just sit at the only table in the room and wait.  
“I will not share my room,” Vegeta insistently said. He was already turning to leave when Goku replied.  
“No worries,” the other Saiyan said, heading for another room. “The apartment is big. Plus, Piccolo wants to sleep outside.”  
Vegeta then left, his arms crossed. There were five other rooms. There was one room for him, then it was up to the four others to share; as Trunks and Goten had probably intended to do already. Bra would perhaps change her mind and sleep alone in another room, unless Gohan and Videl had the same idea, taking Pan with them of course. Vegeta laughed as he entered one of three rooms at random and settled there. Sharing was something he would never do, not with Goku, or worse, Piccolo. Although, either of them would be a favorable outcome compared to the two "teenagers".  
The Vargas, who had changed the shape of each complex to perfectly suit its particular guests, had made things quite convenient. The apartments were modified and developed in different ways for each universe. The universe 18, to accommodate its many participants, had been entitled to many rooms. It was the same for the 19, while 20 did not even get an apartment. Universe 19 had a real complex, a huge place that had built underground. But since the middle of the day when they left, it had been removed and all the other apartments enlarged.  
The details were as follows:  
Universe 1, that of the Kaioshin organizers, had one apartment for each of them, as they were, after all, the gods of the gods. Although perfectly comfortable, they weren’t extravagant royal suites though. Rather, they were five simple sizes, which suited them as perfectly reasonable. In the basement, multiple premises had been dug for the Vargas and Nameks who were there taking care of the logistics.  
Universe 2 also had a large apartment. It contained so many different people that the corridor leading to the arena had been altered by the addition of several doors. That way everyone had access to the stadium and their quarters without disturbing anyone else.  
Universes 3 had had four small apartments, with four doors leading to the main hallway. Obviously, at the beginning of the tournament, and to preserve the anonymity (and knowledge of his presence) of Baddack, one of the doors had been walled outright.  
Universe 4 had a single apartment which Buu was busy changing himself. No Varga dared to question the fact that the Djinn was capable of modifying their material, not to mention their suspicions the he was the one behind their computer glitches. He had transformed the apartment into a standing classical round without any den furniture.  
The participant from Universe 5 was satisfied with a small apartment, which he had entered shortly after his arrival and not left since. Some organizers even wondered if he was still there.  
For Universe 6, the two groups each had an apartment with a small bedroom per person.  
Universe 7 and its sole participant had a simple flat, the same as universe 4.  
There were many people in Universe 8 to accommodate, but it was no problem. The soldiers had one dormitory and bathroom. The masters, however, each had a suite to themselves.  
Universe 9, like 16, 18, and 19, had one main room apartment with several adjoining rooms.  
Universe 10, as previously explained, consisted of two apartments, furnished rooms, and dormitories. But now everything had "melded."  
Universe 11 had a common room and three bedrooms. The Djinn from that world had also decided to alter his room’s appearance, but with much less elegance and skill than the universe 4 Buu. The “new” room was layered with a pool of candy which completely covered the floor.  
Universe 12 had asked to have its apartment changed. It originally had two rooms, but the second participant asked to remove his own, and spent the night sitting in the common room.  
Universe 13 had a living room and a bedroom for each person.  
Universe 14 had a room and two bedrooms.  
Universe 15 had a bedroom as well as a delivery room...prepared to handle childbirth. But clearly, in vain.  
Universe 17 had a living room and two bedrooms; the Vargas decided to keep the second room even though Cell did not seem to care about the death of his child.  
Universe 20 was empty.

The two Piccolos, still levitating outside, had noticed the subtle movements of the Cold Family’s minions. It was obvious that the goons were searching for something. One of them risked venturing to Universe 1’s space, but he was quickly spotted by South Kaioshin.  
“Hey, you!”  
“Uh...I’m looking for the bathroom,” said the soldier.  
“No, you’re looking for the Dragon Balls. Tell your master that next time, it’s the exclusion of the entire Universe 8.  
The little soldier was afraid. He trembled and sprinted immediately to his universe, the bearer of bad news.  
In the space of Universe 8, each member of the Cold clan sent his soldiers to search for the Dragon Balls. All returned with the same conclusion: “No Dragon Balls; I was spotted and threatened with exclusion from the tournament.” But ultimately, they all found something to report.  
“Nothing in the bleachers and in the corridors of the other universes. Only the main building of the Vargas is left,” one of the soldiers reported to Freeza, who sat lazily on a stool.  
“But it is guarded by Nameks; none of us could get in,” said a second soldier, standing at attention.  
“I’ll go; there is no one faster than me!” boasted Butta as he approached with a smile.  
“And no one bigger either!” retorted Freeza. “You are incapable of discretion.”  
“Not to mention that you’ve been miserably beaten by someone much faster than you,” added Coola, who didn’t hesitate to criticize one of his brother’s commandos.  
Freeza paid no attention and continued. “It takes someone small, fast, and smart...”  
Coola immediately reverted to his original form, then gestured to himself. “You’re talking about me.”  
“No, about me,” replied Frieza with a smile.  
“It’s simple,” interrupted their father Cold. “Each of you take a different part of the building. And not a single argument, is that clear?”  
“Yes, dad,” replied both sons simultaneously. But there was clearly a rivalry here: whoever would find the location of the Dragon Balls would win.  
They only had to wait for the middle of the night, when the participants and spectators in the tournament were mostly asleep, to look themselves for the Dragon Balls as much as they wished.

Some of the fighters in the multiverse tournament didn’t need sleep. This was the case for Cell, who remained planted like a statue in the middle of his space. Waiting a few hours was nothing to him; he had waited ten days before the beginning of the Cell Games. Buu of Universe 4 had no need for sleep, and neither did Majin Buu from Universe 11, who simply pretended to be asleep for the fun of it.  
Another participant not sleeping was Dr. Raichi. He was alone in his room, in the dark, floating a few inches above the ground. As usual, he was deep in thought. He had never spent an hour of his existence without preparing or rethinking the plans he was so carefully building for so many years. His last major work had been to assist Tapion. Before that, he had been consumed with nothing but his hatred for the Saiyans. This hatred had calmed somewhat, but it had been revived by the arrival of the Vargas. If they had not announced that Saiyans would be participating, he wouldn’t have even come!  
And there were Saiyans in many different worlds!  
Some had even dared to approach him and speak to him. All these Saiyans...a constant threat, a virus that haunted too many universes. Raichi wanted to get rid of them all.  
In his own universe, he had accomplished his mission. He believed it was all over, that his role was no longer needed. But the arrival of the Vargas, with their mention that Saiyans could be at the tournament, had proven him wrong. He hadn’t taken long before he saw the first set: the Saiyans dressed in animal skins, echoing their barbaric nature. After seeing them, he had initially retreated to his apartments to think.  
Others, more Saiyans from more universes, had arrived later. Some he recognized immediately, others he simply guessed about: a Saiyan could disguise himself in any way, but he would sniff them out! All he wanted to do was destroy them. He simply had to fight and win.  
But the rapid defeat of Universe 10 made him realize that his plan was flawed. He wanted to exterminate these Saiyans, and if they left, it would prove impossible.  
Now, as the note wore on in the arena, they were probably all already dead.  
Dr. Raichi had devised a plan quickly: a plan that was rapidly put into action. These Saiyans were not strong at all; he had encountered much more powerful ones. They were weak enough that a single minion, if chosen correctly, could defeat them. And he made his selection quickly.  
It didn’t take him long to prepare his device, enabling his soldier to appear once the Saiyans returned home in Universe 10. The tiny chip was embedded on the Varga shuttle. By monitoring the external environment, it would activate when the time was right.  
The microchip watched as the Saiyans attacked the Nameks. The latter counter-attacked, and the ship crashed. The microchip remained dormant while the ship was reconstructed using the Dragon Balls. The warrior within waited quietly during the duel between one Saiyan and one Namek. She had seen the horde of Oozarus defeated and returned to their normal form, naked and hairless.  
The Saiyans had suffered another setback. After losing the tournament and failing to gain access to advanced technology, they had been incapable of beating even one of the Nameks. Anger and disappointment were obvious on the faces of the barbarians who now were slowly getting dressed.  
The soldier sent by Raichi decided it was time to emerge from hiding. The microchip released the small amount of energy it contained...a hatred that took the form of a warrior.  
It was a Saiyan. Who better than one of their own to exterminate them? She had long hair, black armor and a guard on her right shoulder, as well as a guard over her right hip. A single red cloth garment covered her arms, and she wore a red skirt as well.  
She had memories of her life up until her death...and a little beyond it. She could think for herself, but she could only follow the one order she had been given: destroy all Saiyans.  
When her body had completely materialized, she took a few seconds to contemplate the world, a world that had disappeared in many universes. Then she flew to the city...if you could call it that. It was a group of archaic huts in poor condition. Hanasia had a plan: she could infiltrate, then kill each small group as they fled before her. But she didn’t want to waste time chasing them.  
By killing several Saiyans secretly here and there, she could create a small panic. The Saiyans would group together to defend themselves and hunt down whatever it was that was killing them. Once grouped, she could eliminate them all.  
Hanasia was fast. There was no doubt, she was indeed the most powerful warrior on this planet! It was not difficult to kill her first victims, something she did separately in isolated conditions. Then she began eliminating groups of two, then more. None of them could see anything but a shadow, a slight, deadly movement in the air.  
After several hours, all the Saiyans were asking questions. Some believed it was a group of vengeful Nameks who had decided to eliminate them all. Hanasia loved to hear their terrified whispers as they wondered what was happening. When a group left to inform the king, she decided to follow them, while others were gathering in the main square of their small village.  
In the shabby palace of King Vegeta, an incredible scene was taking place. King Vegeta, escorted by several of his most loyal warriors, was faced with another small group of Saiyans. They seemed to want to seize power, overthrow the king, they said. They pointed out that they had lost everything due to his leadership.  
“We want a new kind who will rule us as well as your father!” cried one of the separatists.  
“Idiots! I am better than my father!” roared Vegeta. “I am the King! And for your betrayal, I’ll kill you!”  
“If you’re still king, it’s because we allow it! We only left you the throne out of consideration for your father, who saved us from the Tsufuls: nothing else. Long ago, you were exceeded in power! Many of us can defeat you. If you do not immediately resign, we will obtain the throne by force!”  
Indeed, Vegeta’s father (the former King Vegeta) was a war hero. At the time, he had been nothing more than a warrior with a decent power level under the command of an idiotic leader. He had manipulated his way into a position of leadership at the end of the war against the Tsufuls: a war he managed from start to finish, maintaining strategy, logistics, and organization. Since then, he had remained the undisputed king, and his son had been the logical successor. Swept up by the crown, he had never really tried to keep the highest power level, even while many others were constantly improving themselves.  
Hanasia smiled. This was interesting. Looking around, she noticed that several other Saiyans stood away from the two groups facing each other...the two groups that could overthrow the other at any time. These other Saiyans who remained apart would be the type to follow orders regardless of who was King. Among them, Hanasia identified Baddack...it was then that she decided to intervene, to show herself. She walked slowly toward the two groups that were arguing. Initially, no one noticed, then the first murmurs were heard among the Saiyans watching. Finally, all faces turned toward her: faces with wide eyes.  
It was obvious; almost everyone knew her. She’d had a good reputation up until the day she had died suddenly. Her presence suddenly shocked many people...but most of all King Vegeta and his followers. Stupidly, in front of all his people, he blurted out:  
“You...it’s impossible! You’re dead! We killed you!”  
All the Saiyans stopped watching her and turned to look coldly at King Vegeta.  
“How?” stammered Baddack, approaching nervously. He was now the only one between her and King Vegeta.  
The king cringed. It seemed to mean something...maybe this was justified? but he changed his mind. He still didn’t understand.  
Hanasia understood immediately. Everything made sense. “King Vegeta has always feared losing power, I suppose. Some were already beginning to surpass him, and wanted to dethrone him. He took his place at the head in front of his brother before they could...is it not so?”  
Vegeta panicked, and responded by sending a strong energy attack in the direction of the Saiyan. Baddack, who was still between the two, instinctively threw himself into the attack, blocking it. There was an explosion, which dissipated to reveal Baddack still standing, the left side of his chest and shoulder now burned. He smiled. “I, too, have become stronger than y..ARGGH!”  
He felt an incredible pain in his chest and spat blood. He felt himself suddenly falter. His vision was swimming. Lowering his head, he saw an arm that pierced his back...an arm whose hand held his still-beating heart.

Baddack fell heavily to the ground. Hanasia smiled. Vegeta gave an order. It was not immediately followed, but then the Saiyans reacted. A dozen of them charged the warrior whose right arm still dripped with blood. Hanasia let them approach, then reacted with speed, precision and grace. She gave a violent punches and kicks, seemingly at random, to each of the attackers. Some fell; others went flying away into the walls which collapsed from the shock.  
Some preferred to avoid melee attacks, sending energy blasts toward Hanasia. These she avoided, or countered with a wave of her hand. Her own attacks were far more devastating, shredding both her enemies and half of the palace.  
At the end of the battle, she found herself alone with Vegeta. She had saved him for last, savoring his look of despair and fear. She grabbed him by the neck and decided to leave the palace.  
“My poor Vegeta,” she said. “I’ve seen you younger and cuter...and a lot stronger!”  
Outside, hundreds more of the Saiyans had gathered. They began to approach the smoldering ruins of the castle, but stopped when they saw Hanasia burst from the rubble, dragging their king who was already choking. Without losing her smile, she flung the deposed king into the air and threw a ball of energy that collided with him. After a violent explosion, his burning body fell amid the Saiyans.  
A dead silence ensued. Nobody moved; they all wondered what was happening. Finally, they came to their senses, watching Hanasia. They could see the murderous gleam in her eyes, the desire which showed she would kill them all.  
But they would not give up without a fight. They attacked first.  
Hanasia amused herself at the beginning, killing one by one with precision, stopping the attacks they sent and counter-attacking brutally. But she soon tired of this. She flew at once, straight up while watching the insects below her, then charged a highly concentrated ki blast in her hands. The ball of energy dazzled the Saiyans below; some flew toward it, others away.  
She struck.  
The massive attack shredded the few Saiyans who had flown toward Hanasia, bringing them crashing to the ground, which shuddered and then gave way. The blue energy attack continued disintegrating the land, burrowing deep and releasing terrible earthquakes. Massive crevasses opened up, releasing flows of lava. The cataclysm went on and on.  
The whole area was devastated. The planet had failed to explode. For thousands of miles, the land...nothing but rock now...no longer resembled anything. There was no forest, no grass, no animals. The desolation couldn’t even be called a land; it was just a wrinkled muck of rock and lava.  
All Saiyans had been surely destroyed.  
To make certain, Hanasia circled the globe, her senses attuned to note even the slightest movement or energy. But no, there was nothing. She turned one last time over the vast cemetery where hundreds...no, thousands...of Saiyans had lived, looking one last time.  
Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her, a few dozen meters away. Someone had appeared from nowhere. He was not of this planet...he was a rather small being with purple skin, pointed ears, and hair in a crest on his head. He wore a blue uniform.  
Hanasia continued looking without moving. He looked at what she had done, surprised. The purple-skinned man had many questions. Then, finally, he spotted her. He flew toward her, shouting.  
“Who are you? What happened!?”  
Hanasia closed her eyes, smiling, and replied.  
“The Saiyans are all gone.”  
“What!? But who are you? Answer! I am the Kaioshin of the East! Answer me!”  
Hanasia turned her head toward him without losing her smile. “I am a ghost,” she answered finally, her body already beginning to disappear in smoke.  
The Kaioshin seemed to want to stop her, reaching out, but she disappeared too quickly in midair, as if she had never existed. Her mission accomplished, she had no reason to be here...because Saiyans had disappeared from the universe.


	4. Gag Arc

In universe 3, Baddack was the last of his race, the only surviving Saiyan. His people had been all but eliminated by Raichi...who was himself the last of his own people, the Tsufurs, destroyed by the Saiyans.  
"How ironic..." Baddack thought. Two warring peoples on the same planet; a war which destroyed them both. There was only one representative of each of these peoples, and they finally found themselves in the same place in a tournament.  
Raichi was powerful, and Baddack had never been able to do anything against him. Even when all his companions fought the Tsuful, they were beaten. Baddack's visions of the future had been unable to change anything.  
Yet, against Freeza, it was very successful. Was it because of that Kanassian? Was the true purpose of these visions to defeat Freeza, but not Raichi?  
Baddack thought of long ago. Again, tonight, while he pondered his future fight against King Cold, he could not help but dwell on the past. It was a crucial time when, by chance or not, he encountered a being endowed with visions....

In space, Baddack's unit traveled in their space pods, speeding toward the planet Kanassa to exterminate its inhabitants. Yet another planet soon to fall to their account, which already contained countless worlds utterly destroyed.  
"Kanassa Planet, arrival tomorrow," Baddack radioed his teammates. "High power levels, but full moon in two days. We can erase the top ten cities in a short time. If we can finish the mission in four days, Freeza's elite will look like a bunch of losers. I count on you to make it happen!  
"Such a challenge!" exclaimed Célipa, the only female member of the group." I see, sir Baddack had a bad day."  
"Is it your about your last-born, chief?" asked Toma, Baddack's best friend. The men knew that his youngest son, Kakarotto, was born with a ridiculously low power, which had put Baddack in a bad mood. Especially since this was his second attempt, with a very powerful Saiyan mother, and a second failure. Strong parents usually gave birth to strong children.  
Totappo interrupted. "You should have taken Raditz with us. The little dude would improve for sure!"  
"Who fucking cares about these weaklings!!" said the group's leader, angry.Communication between them ceased until they arrived on the planet. They had to wait several hours before the full moon. They took the opportunity to attack first few villages quickly before moving on to larger city as soon as they turned into Oozarus.  
As expected, despite the level of some fighters on the planet, the Saiyan group managed to destroy a number of cities in one night.  
The next morning, they allowed themselves a break.  
"Eleven cities!" Toma exclaimed. "Most of the population is dead, and in only one night, dudes!"  
"Massive destruction!" Célipa added. "Eleven out of ten."  
Baddack tinkered with his scooter. He was trying to predict the time it would take to destroy what remained of the local population.  
"There are only a few small tribes left. The real thing is done. In two days, we—"  
He stopped as the sensor detected a sudden burst of power. He pressed a button on the device and located the source.  
"Big power level ... a few miles from here?"  
"I'm sure there was nothing there," Toma muttered to the group.  
"It's just one guy. One strong guy," said Baddack, rising. "I'm going to take him. Alone. You wait for me here."  
Toma watched his leader fly off. "Why didn't we detect him before?"  
"It's strange," said Celipa.  
"He is not as strong as Baddack, but he is stronger than me. I don't like this," Toma added.  
"Chief is an adult. He'll handle it."  
Baddack took a few seconds to arrive on the scene. Someone was waiting. He landed in front of him, then walked forward.  
The Kanassian looked tired, his clothes a little torn. A strange aura showed around him.  
"So...it's you," said Baddack suspiciously.  
"I cannot beat you, Bringer of Death and destruction. You can kill me."  
"Oh, I will."  
"But you may want to hear me first. The survival of your people depends on it.”  
Baddack had reached out his open hand, creating a ball of energy. “Pff ... Die.”  
Some lives and destined can change with a single and simple event. In many universes, Baddack killed this man and did not listen to what he had to say. A few days later, Dodoria would have attacked his unit, and, the sole survivor, he would have returned to Planet Vegeta only to be killed personally by Freeza as the planet was destroyed.  
But in this universe, Baddack decided to hear him out. Just...just to know.  
He did not throw his ball of energy, even though he continued to hold it in front of his hand, ready to be launched in an instant. The Kanassian continued.  
“I saw your future...and it’s just as dark as ours. You will all die; your home planet will be destroyed.”  
"What's he talking about, old fool?"  
“Destroyed by a small, flat-horned purple demon. Your master himself decided to annihilate all of you.”  
Baddack said nothing, continuing to listen, but already thought of Freeza.  
“I saw him kill your lord. One of your kind, with a beard and spiky hair.”  
“Freeza? Vegeta? You don’t have technology to know them. How can you describe with such detail?”  
“I have a few powers...I can’t fight you, I can’t beat you, but I have foresight: visions of scenes that have not yet passed.”  
“Bullshit! This is madness!”  
“I saw a few weeks ago that we would be attacked by giant warriors. But nobody believed me. Nobody wanted to flee. It is not enough to see, they must also understand...my people died because they did not believe. I failed them. As for you...in all the futures I saw, your planet does not survive. You must act early and intelligently to save your people. With luck, your actions could save a lot of your friends. And more: if you all get together, you could kill this purple demon! You might destroy your enemy...our enemy!  
“Why tell me this? Why are you helping me?”  
“You are merely the messenger of our death. I want revenge. The man who asked for our destruction, he asked for yours too. We want the same thing.”  
“I have no reason to believe you,” said Baddack, stepping back warily with his fists clenched.  
“I’m not asking you to...”  
The Kanassian took a break before adding:  
“The future is clear, I can not convince you with words. I’m only asking for one thing. Don’t finish me from a distance. Go through my heart with your fist.”  
“Tsss, as you wish!”  
Baddack rushed forward and easily pierced his opponent’s torso. His hand grabbed the Kanassian’s heart and squeezed hard.  
“Yuck! It was even more flabby than I thought!”  
But the old creature clung to Baddack.  
“Receive...my power and my strength!”  
“What?!”  
Baddack thought he saw a flash of light that filled his sight...then slowly a new ability morphed into existence. He didn’t see the vision before him; he felt more like the spectator of a scene, even seeing himself present. He no longer felt his body; what he saw in real time lasted only a moment.

Bardock’s group spoke among themselves.  
“...separately. The small towns are quite numerous, and it’s not like we’ll risk a lot!” Toma said.  
“The full moon is over, you know. We need to be in groups of two, just in case. An accident can happen,” Totappo replied.  
Celipa laughed. “What a lousy excuse to be alone with me!”  
“We have an odd number in our group anyway...” began Toma. “Baddack, what’s wrong?”  
Baddack listened without participating in the discussion, showing a totally dazed look. Then a new flash of light illuminated...

Baddack stood before the bloodied corpse of the Kanassian in the arms. He wondered, “What was that?”  
He thought a moment, then decided to leave. He had nothing more to do here, and quickly joined his group, which had been awaiting his arrival..  
“Hey, Baddack’s back. So?” Toma asked, wondering about Baddack’s side-mission.  
“Hmm... Nothing special ... Easily killed.”  
“Very well. Listen, we were talking about finishing the other places separately. The small towns are quite numerous, and it’s not as if we’ll risk a lot!”  
“The full moon is over, you know. We need to be at least in pairs, just in case anything should happene.”  
Baddack eyes widened.  
“What a lousy excuse to be alone with me!”  
“We have an odd number in our group anyways... Baddack, what’s wrong?”  
He did not answer immediately, and before the eyes of others, finally said, “But ... But I've seen all of this!”  
“Huh? What do you mean, Baddack?”  
“He ... He really had powers!! If he’s right...”  
Baddack thought quickly. He tried to remember every word the Kanassien told him.  
“Toma! When is the next visit of Freeza?”  
“There are no scheduled. Perhaps in one or two years...”  
"A year or two? That’s not ..."  
Suddenly Baddack felt a sharp pain in his head; he cradled it in his hands, closing his eyes. Then, the images and sound managed to enter his mind...

“What? Freeza is here? He comes without notifying us?” rang the voice of King Vegeta.  
“It is time to tell him what I think. We are neither his slaves nor servants!! He hasn’t even given me news of my son!”  
The image became blurred, and then Vegeta reappeared shouting, “Lord Freeza! What is the meaning of this unannounced armada arriving in my place?”  
“How rude... Yes, I have heard that too much!” Freeza said in his vehicle, his back turned to the king.  
“Rude? What about you? Coming without announcing it, greeting guests by showing your back, treating us like servants?  
The king was adamant. Baddack understood that Freeza would therefore come to the planet Vegeta, and this surprise expressed a dirty trick. Relations between Freeza and the Saiyans had always been strained and had followed a poorly controlled hypocrisy.  
Thus, the King had arrived on the tyrant’s ship to inquire about this unexpected visit.  
“Saiyan’s prid-”  
He did not finish his sentence. Freeza had quickly turned, pointed and fired a beam of energy that pierced the proud king’s heart.  
“You're just confirming your indiscipline,” said Freeza.  
King Vegeta’s corpse fell to the ground. His two bodyguards Hatonek and Gerkin, had returned to his side, but Zarbon and Dodoria attacked quickly, stabbing them from behind and killing them easily. They too fell to the ground, dead.  
“And now ... Let’s transform this planet into a giant fireworks display!” Freeza said, a sadistic smile forming on his lips.

Baddack opened his eyes. He began to understand. He remembered the words of Kanassien. He had to act quickly.  
“It’s going to happen soon,” said Baddack to his unit. “Let’s go back immediately!”  
“Now? But we haven’t finished…”  
“I don’t care, Toma! It’s an emergency!  
Baddack friends did not understand at all, but they followed his orders. If they encountered any problems, he alone would be reprimanded, not them. They went in their personal capsules and quickly took off, spinning towards their home planet Vegeta.  
Baddack reflected throughout the journey, still wondering if it was real or not ...  
It all changed on planet Kanassa during an encounter with a sage, one who possessed an incredible power: the ability to see the future. As his dying act, the warrior had bestowed this gift upon Baddack and consequently sent the Saiyan on a rescue mission to save his home planet from destruction. Thanks to this new power and the insight it granted him, Baddack had been convinced to pay attention to the warning he received concerning Freeza and the imminent danger to his planet.  
With great haste, Baddack and his unit abandoned their mission and returned to planet Vegeta with the news. As soon as their space capsules landed, they hurried to the throne room where an important discussion was already taking place:  
“You know just as well as we do what this Legendary Saiyan truly is...a threat to us all!” yelled a long haired Saiyan. The King, sitting on his throne with arms folded, was listening intently to the debate. “Our records are clear,” Gerkin continued. “This is a monster that kills without reason or conscience. It doesn’t even make a distinction between killing enemies and slaughtering its own people! The child is nothing but a danger to the entire universe!”  
“And this baby is him for sure,” Vegeta replied. “It’s been one thousand years since the last one, and such power at birth isn’t natural.” The King paused for a moment, making his final decision. “Well then...terminate the child...this Broly.”  
Suddenly the throne room doors burst open and Paragus, the child’s father, came running into the chamber. His panicked face revealed both fright and desperation.  
“Paragus...now is not the time,”  
Before he could respond, two powerful Saiyan elites had barred his way to the King. They stared at him threateningly, but the King stood to his feet, signaling that Paragus would be allowed to speak.  
“Spare my son! Broly will serve Prince Vegeta; he’ll become a great warrior!”  
“Precisely...” began the king. His twisted smile hid his exact reasoning, but it was clear that he didn’t want any Saiyan to be as powerful as his son.  
Baddack’s group was almost there, still briskly walking down the hallway that led to King Vegeta’s auditorium. Suddenly, from just inside the chamber doors, they heard a crashing noise and then the THUD of something collapsing onto the floor. Immediately the throne room doors swung open and two Saiyans carrying the unconscious and heavily injured body of Paragus rushed by.  
“Well, there goes another fool who opened his foul mouth,” Totappo said, rolling his eyes.  
“Yeah, we’re about to do the exact same thing...” their leader stated, surprising the group and inciting a bit of instant nervousness.  
Unannounced and uninvited, Baddack and his unit hurried into the throne room, pushing themselves through the crowd of Saiyans gathered around. Once through, Baddack boldly approached the throne.  
“King Vegeta! Terrible things are about to happen!” Baddack loudly announced.  
The king had turned to sit back down, having settled his ‘business’ with Paragus, but spun around at the intrusion.  
“What is it now? Baddack?”  
“Freeza is going to come to our planet and eradicate us all! We must prepare!” he yelled.  
King Vegeta opened his eyes wide. Clearly, he thought such absurdities to be beyond the realm of possibility. Equally surprised were Baddack’s entire squad, whose jaws dropped in unison.  
“That’s the big emergency! Has he gone crazy?” his crew uttered, barely able to speak.  
Immediately the room erupted with sudden bursts of laughter, each of the Saiyans ignorantly content to trust in Freeza and the fragile peace that existed between them and their ‘lord’. Baddack’s face burned with frustration, his eyes angry as he tried to think of a better way.  
"Of course no one believes me. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it either!" Baddack thought through gritted teeth. He found himself in the same position as the Kanassien had been—trying to convince his own people of the impending attack on their planet. Even if the Saiyans had a clear dislike for Freeza, everyone knew that the frost demon was both invincible and unafraid; besides, they were a useful and important asset to his army. And if that wasn’t enough, Freeza had never attacked any of his allies before, except for when the revolt had come from within his own troops. Baddack bit his lip, deciding that only drastic measure had any hope of succeeding, and thrust his finger out at the king.  
“Silence!!!” he cried. “The Saiyans have to follow their King. You’re the only one I have to convince.”  
Vegeta was known for his strategy and intelligence. He might be open to the truth, that Freeza had secretly decided to get rid of the Saiyans. Having experienced his cruelty firsthand with regards to the kidnapped prince, King Vegeta knew better than most what a perverse tyrant Freeza was.  
But once again, Baddack was interrupted by a sharp pain in his head, followed by a very clear picture: the heartless monster, Freeza, laughing with his finger raised. Then, a small sphere of power charging up as the demon prepared to launch a terrible attack on the planet. Lastly, he could see his homeworld exploding with his waking eyes, Freeza laughing jovially at the wondrous explosion.  
"No...this isn’t going to solve anything. There must be another way!" Baddack thought. If he continued down his current path, this vision would come true. The Kanassian had seen this same vision as well, of planet Vegeta being doomed. Even with his warning to the king, nothing about the vision had changed. But what good was being able to see the future if he couldn’t fix it somehow? He had to take drastic action to save his people, there had to be a way. He would have to do something crazy, something so absolutely insane that no vision would have ever predicted it.  
Baddack braced and stood tall, pointed his finger again to the king, and spoke with a booming confidence.  
“King Vegeta, according to Saiyan tradition, I challenge you and shall get the throne!”  
Everyone was immediately silent in the great hall. The stunned audience didn’t know what to say, including the king himself. Fighting off his hesitancy, Baddack continued.  
“Everyone knows that you keep your status of king because you liberated us from the Tsufuls. But that title is for the strongest among us!”  
For the last fifty years, under the reign of Vegeta, the Saiyan race had undergone dramatic changes in their social structure and economy. It wasn’t that long ago that they were barbarians living in caves and makeshift houses, but now they were a highly organized society adept at using the technology of both the Tsufuls and Freeza. They had schools and businesses rather than tribes and hunters. All the old rules and laws of their society (which had not even been written down, but were simply passed on orally) had been replaced by a complex and well organized political governing system.  
But it was true, long ago in the times before Freeza, that the king or queen of the Saiyans was constantly being challenged for the throne. However, with those days long passed from everyone’s memory, no one would dare to challenge the king anymore. Rather, his successor would be his son, who was, for once, called "prince", a term never before used in their society.  
“You insolent usurper! You’ll have to fight me first!” Gerkin yelled, stepping in front of Vegeta. He was one of the strongest Saiyans, the personal bodyguard of the king, and the very same man who had been killed in Baddack’s vision. A beefy but agile Saiyan, he wore white armor with shoulder pads and had long dark hair.  
“No way, Gerkin. I challenge the king, not you.”  
Several Saiyans quietly discussed the interaction to themselves.“Of course he refuses. Baddack isn’t a strong as Gerkin!” one said.  
“Even if Baddack wins, he won’t stay king for long!” replied another.  
A third joined in the comments. “Pfu, if I knew it was allowed to challenge King Vegeta, I'd have done it long ago!"  
But King Vegeta successfully silenced all these discussions by bending his knees and clenching his fists.  
“Very well, Baddack, I accept the challenge!”  
It was the biggest mistake of his life, his political life anyway. Regarding his actual life itself, he would end up being saved by this temporary lack of judgment.  
Hatonek, another member of Vegeta’s personal guard, was quite surprised that he accepted. He almost pleaded with the king not to fight, but before he could Vegeta quickly launched himself into the confrontation.  
“As if a low class...could beat me!”  
But the battle for the throne didn’t last long. For a moment, at the beginning, they seemed like they might be equal. But Baddack rapidly gained the advantage. King Vegeta had not trained or fought in a long time, while many of his subjects progressed during their missions to conquer various planets. The years of politics and disputes had allowed him to go soft, losing the edge he once had. Suddenly, after a brief vision, Baddack anticipated the movements of his opponent and managed to deliver a powerful finishing blow, which knocked the unconscious King to the floor. Victorious, Baddack grabbed the former king by his hair and snatched the pendant Vegeta wore around his neck.  
“Baddack...is our new king!” the Saiyans began to announce.  
“Bastard...I challenge you!” cried Gerkin, more furiously than before.  
“I accept the Challenge,” Baddack replied as he sat down on his new throne. “But according to tradition, I have one week to rest...we’ll fight after that.” His face had yet to lose its seriousness.  
“Now, listen to me! My orders may sound strange, but you must follow them! If I’m wrong, you can dethrone and kill me. But right now I will not accept unruly behavior! First, do not let Freeza know that I became king. We’ll catch all of Freeza’s men that are present here and kill them. It is vital that nothing we do in the next few days be discovered!"  
The orders were followed. The Saiyan society began its secret rebellion against Freeza. Officially, nothing changed. Once the contact was secured, the King invited representatives of all the Saiyans to come together...  
King Baddack stood on a platform with his hands resting on a curved podium. Behind him were the former King Vegeta, Brasca, Hatonek, Gerkin, Celipa, and Toma. He spoke to the gathering of hundreds of Saiyans, his rousing speech moving everyone to loud cheers of excitement.  
Former King Vegeta knew that Freeza would never forgive their rebellion, so he worked with Baddack to be sure it would work. If not, the entire Saiyan race would end up getting completely wiped out! This one act would forever destroy the delicate balance that allowed Saiyans to empower the army of the devil. But Vegeta knew how to take advantage of any situation; even before becoming the king he had been effective from the shadows  
He remained with Baddack as an advisor. The latter knew Vegeta wouldn’t be foolish enough to stab him in the back, at least not immediately. He had told Vegeta several times the story of how he had seen his death, and in great detail. In the end it was enough to convince the former king that Baddack wasn’t as crazy as he might have appeared. Realizing all this, combined with the fact that there was no other option, Vegeta amiably worked with the new king for the success of his plan. With the former king officially voicing his approval and support, suddenly even the most reluctant Saiyans were on board.  
A few days later, on the night foreseen by Baddack, the Saiyan people gathered in a desert near the city...  
“Freeza will be here tonight,” Baddack said as he looked up at the stars. His wife Hanasia was at his side, but they were not alone. Thousands of Saiyans were there, all very powerful warriors.  
“I warn you, if he doesn’t come, I’ll defy and kill you myself!” Hanasia threatened, her arms crossed.  
“You’ll still have to go after Gerkin,” the King replied casually.  
From the crowd, someone suddenly interrupted their conversation.  
“King Baddack, I’d like to thank you for saving my son!"  
Baddack turned his head towards the grateful Paragus.  
“No need...I saw what he will become...we'll need his power,” he finally said softly.  
Paragus had been treated in the medical center and his son had not been executed, as Vegeta had ordered. The new King had canceled the abortion, though he wouldn’t say why.  
“Lord Freeza has just arrived!” shouted a Saiyan that had run up to the group. He had just returned from the city, where they had been tracking the radio communications from outer space.  
Suddenly everyone began to murmur, mostly in surprise that the prophecy had come true. The Saiyans all now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Baddack had been telling the truth. Their disbelief had now turned to wrath, and together they became united by it.  
“Well then?” Baddack began, turning to his mate as if to say 'I told you so.' But she simply rolled her eyes.  
“Ok, so his visit wasn’t announced, but nothing says he’s coming to kill us,” Hanasia replied.  
“It’s not important now, because we’re going to strike first. He must not be allowed to flee. Hanasia, can you stop his ship?”  
“You dare even ask? You're talking to the most powerful of all Saiyans!”  
A pride-stricken Gerkin piped up when he heard her boast.  
“Oh, I'm sorry? I recall whipping you quite thoroughly last time we dueled."  
“I was pregnant,” she said flatly.  
“Yeah, always a poor excuse...”   
With a sudden burst, Hanasia blasted off into the sky. Baddack, looking around to the five Saiyans that surrounded him, began to give out orders.  
“Ex-King Vegeta, Gerkin, Hatonek, Zukini, Paprika, you’re the only ones who can make fake moons. Do it!”  
Each one raised their palms, creating blue balls of energy which were immediately launched into the sky.  
“You three stay on the ground,” Baddack ordered to Zukini, Hatonek and Paprika. “Scatter and hide yourselves. If a fake moon is destroyed, launch another then get back to cover.”  
“That’s a coward’s plan,” complained Paprika.  
“That’s the plan of the king, and he’ll beat you down if need be! Now go.”  
Up in the sky, the full moons suddenly blended with the oxygen and finished their formation. Immediately, the blutz waves they emitted began to affect each and every Saiyan. Some didn’t even wait for the transformation to finish before they took off into the air.  
The first part of the plan, one no less integral, was for Hanasia to destroy the protective forcefield surrounding Freeza’s ship.  
“They say Freeza’s ship has the best shields there are. Let’s put that to the test!”  
At first, she launched a multitude of energy attacks, but they simply bounced off.  
Hanasia thought for a second, then raced toward the ship, fist forward, increasing her speed.  
“Change of plan!” she thought, passing through the invisible shield. She felt a kind of shock run through her body, but she stood firm: there was no way some dumb forcefield would keep her out. Tensing, she ripped through the round hull of the ship as if it were paper.  
Inside, she quickly found a ladder to climb to the next floor.  
“Some air at last,” Hanasia said.  
She could now breathe and would have a quick chance to catch her breath before continuing towards the shield generators.  
Outside, the multitude of Oozarus were waiting at the furthest reaches of planet Vegeta's atmosphere. But before they could make their move Hanasia had to destroy the ship’s defenses. However, Freeza was still quite determined to kill them and immediately ordered his entire army out to engage them in battle.  
As Hanasia flew around a corner of the ship, she suddenly came face to face with the lumbering Dodoria.  
“Well then, if it isn't Hanasia from the Saiyan elite,” said the pink warrior as he cracked his knuckles.  
“Oh, I see you’re a fan?” she quipped.  
Dodoria, looking both bored and annoyed, merely stretched one hand forward, and threw a fireball.  
“Not really. Die!”  
The energy blast missed its target and exploded against a wall, as she was more than fast enough to avoid it. Hanasia lunged at Dodoria and struck him hard in the face. The contact was solid, but the soldier quickly counter attacked, punching Hanasia on the left cheek and knocking her to the ground.  
“Haha! What did you expect?!” Freeza's sidekick chuckled as he grabbed the Saiyan by her arms and hoisted her into the air.  
He then swung her body, pinning Hanasia against the wall, her neck in his tight grasp. With his other hand, he prepared to give her several blows to the face. He wanted to repay her a hundredfold for the lucky punch she had gotten in.  
“Come now. Your power level is only at 12,000, while I’m at 22,000! You don’t stand a...”  
Hanasia suddenly opened her mouth and shot out a wave of energy, its full force slamming into Dodoria at point blank range. The large pink henchman was hurled backwards several meters, landing and nearly bouncing on his buttocks. That left Hanasia with the perfect opportunity to go look out a nearby ship window, observing the many fake moons that had been created.  
"Where is that scumbag?" Dodoria groaned, picking himself up; one hand was clutching his damaged right eye, trying to ignore the pain. "Ah!" he said, finally spotting her. "You are SO dead!"  
"Such a beautiful view," she whispered. "I can see the whole planet from this one spot...that, and several of our fake moons!" She turned, smiling at the obese Dodoria. Her eyes were already glowing with a strange luminosity.  
Dodoria's busted bottom lip dropped in shock as he realized his dire predicament. But it was already a moment too late. Hanasia had already begun to change, and in a few seconds the transformation would be complete. She quickly became a full-sized Oozaru, growing so much that she burst through the walls of the corridor and began ripping her way through half of Freeza's ship--successfully creating a massive hole through the center of the vessel and consequently obliterating the energy shield. Her mission was complete; now it was time to get out of there.

She blasted off the ship quickly, but Dodoria, still intent on revenge, followed after her. Turning suddenly, she whipped her massive tail around which collided furiously with the henchman of Freeza. Now that Hanasia had become an Oozaru, her own power greatly exceeded that of Dodoria. Although the shockwave sent him crashing back to the busted ship, the blow itself was more than enough to mortally wound the pink skinned soldier. With a smirk, Hanasia continued hurrying back to the hoard of Oozarus, who were already charging an enormous amalgamation of their strongest mouth blasts. Just as she was safely away, the Saiyan army furiously spat their attacks, the number of beams numbering in the thousands. Then, as they shot towards Freeza, the attacks combined into one enormous point, which was poised to directly collide with the demon’s damaged vessel. Even as the tyrant inside had begun to transform, it was far too late, and instantly the ship was struck with unbelievable force, obliterating both the vessel and all on board.Re-joining the Oozarus, Hanasia began to hear the joyous cheers of the Saiyan warriors, each proclaiming honor to their new king Baddack.  
Thus ended the reign of the tyrant Freeza and began the lordship of Baddack, which was based on a single simple rule: the old methods of Freeza were outlawed and the Saiyans would now stick together, only attacking whole planets—starting with those of Freeza’s Empire. No longer would the Saiyan people receive orders from anyone else but their King.  
But little did they know, someone was already interested in them...someone who, from the safe distance of his own vessel, had seen everything.  
“They...the Saiyans killed your brother!” Sauza said to his master, Coola.  
“Tsss! What a wimp! Being done in by a bunch of monkeys,” the demon replied, scoffing.  
‘Lucky Saiyans. If Freeza hadn’t been in a reduction form, he’d have squashed them...’ Sauza thought. He then turned his head to speak again.  
“Master Coola, shall we land on the planet? Or do you wish to destroy it from space with a single attack?”  
“What?” his brother said, grinning. “Neither one, of course...remember, we’re not even supposed to be here...let's leave quietly before father finds out we were here. If he catches us, he’ll think it was me who killed Freeza.” Coola let a twinge of carefree apathy trickle through his tail causing the tip to coil.  
“My little brother’s death was his own fault. And these Saiyans, they’re all going to die eventually anyway...as soon as Dad gives me this territory.”  
With that, Coola left the control room to go relax in his personal quarters. All this had put him in a surprisingly good mood.  
The three girls from Universe 6 left for their apartment before Bojack and Bujin. And, in order to avoid the surprise of any uninvited ‘guests’, they asked a Varga to stand guard on their doorstep and prevent Bojack or his henchman from entering.  
Of course, if the space pirate had actually wanted to get in, there wasn’t a single Varga who could have prevented him...but it was more calming for the girls to have at least the appearance of security than to have none at all. The girls had a plan, and they couldn’t afford to overlook even the smallest detail, lest they fail.  
They were gathered around the table in their apartment, discussing their plans in-depth before finally going to sleep. Throughout the night, their sympathies and sorrows had been appropriately spent on the unfortunate Syd; she had been coldly killed by a Saiyan who seemed no different from the Machiavellian Bojack himself.  
In their universe, Bojack was the number one enemy. Back home, on their peaceful little planet, they carefully hid themselves. Like many others, they knew the best chance of avoiding the pirate was to simply disappear. Jet and her friends were members of a group of experienced magicians, a line extending down several generations. They were not very numerous, and had kept their existence a well guarded secret. And indeed it was warranted, as their powers were highly sought after.  
Every woman had a specialty, a unique gift she developed throughout her life. In recent years, they had sought to form an elite group that might be able to cope with Bojack, were he to ever threaten them.  
Initially, everyone’s hopes were put on Kat, the most physically powerful. In addition to her great strength, she had the power of sexual attraction, which was their path to manipulating the most fragile male minds. Certainly, though, it wouldn’t work against Bojack; the magicians knew he was too strong willed; therefore, they couldn’t rely on that power to overcome him. Although her powers were far superior to any of the other witches she had met, she was not their only defense against the tyrant of the universe.  
There was also Syd, who had the power of body exchange. This allowed her, if she was overwhelmed by her opponent, to regain the advantage by swapping genders with her enemy. She considered the psychological impact of such a transformation very useful, but it also split her foes power evenly between them; another useful advantage. Her ability could prove very helpful if they ever wanted to lessen Bojack’s powers...but during the tournament here, the move had been an utter failure, costing Syd her own life against Vegeta of Universe 13.  
Then there was Jet, the leader of the small squad, who had telepathic powers.  
“What are they thinking right now?” asked May.  
“I can’t read them at the moment; these apartments are insulated somehow. But earlier, I discovered some interesting things.”  
“Like what? That Bojack is crazy?” Kat replied.  
“For example..." she paused, knowing this is what they all feared, "he has plans to kill us when we all return to our universe. But his sidekick, Bujin, has begun asking questions. He's tired of Bojack. It could be a very interesting situation, one we might take advantage of.”  
“You mean...a potential ally?” Kat said aloud.  
“Maybe...”  
Kat thought about it a few seconds, but the idea of teaming up with a proven killer wasn’t ideal, even if he could be of use. She just couldn’t forget all the horrible stories she had heard about Bojack’s gang; since childhood they had haunted her nightmares.  
Still frightened, Kat decided to argue further:  
“Listen, we can't keep this up much longer—it has to end soon! Syd is already dead and I almost died too! Jet, maybe we should just leave.”  
Her leader sympathized, but was quick to remind them of everything that was at stake.  
“I know...but we have to wait for her to be revived. We still need a bit of patience, ok? Now, May, It’s up to you to tell us how much longer you need.”  
The fourth daughter concentrated a moment, then pictured the pirate’s head inside her mind.  
“Another day and I'll be ready...then Bojack will be destroyed.”  
May’s magic, when controlled, was the most powerful of all: the only power that could defeat Bojack. She was the whole reason they had stayed in the tournament. The only downside to her abilities was that once she was near the target, it took hours and hours for her power to take effect. And it took an especially long time if the opponent was incredibly powerful.  
‘I need to stay near Bojack a little while longer,’ thought May. ‘But even so, we are incredibly fortunate! This tournament is such an unexpected and perfect opportunity, it’s the one we’ve been waiting for!’  
For years, in fact, they had searched for a way to defeat Bojack, but it had been in vain. But one day a sister of theirs, one whose gift was seeing the future, had a prophetic revelation. She saw a race of brilliant bird-like creatures, called Vargas, come and invite Bojack to their tournament in another universe. But according to the vision, the girls were supposed to also be detected by these Vargas, and some of them even participate. Much thought and debate had gone into the prophecy, but in the end they decided to act. And if they hadn’t used this ploy and attracted the Vargas to themselves, they never would have been discovered...  
This tournament was the ideal solution. May could stand only a few meters from Bojack without being in any danger. This plan had been developed so they might avoid the doom of becoming the servants of Bojack...or worse; if they failed, they knew they had a brief life expectancy of only a few days. Many options had been considered, but none met with their approval but this. They wouldn't have dared trying to sneaking into his main palace; it wasn’t that he had extremely efficient guards, but simply that Bojack had very sharp senses. Zangya, also, could spot a suspicious scenario from miles away. Plus, she had become Bojack’s lover. But in spite of how long she had been with him, he would surely still kill her like any servant if the situation required.  
In front of their apartment, Bojack and Bujin seemed to be having a bit of a celebration...but mainly Bojack. He had been drinking from a stout bottle of liquor, congratulating himself on having killed his opponent. Bujin, however, was merely sitting there idly in his chair; in contrast, Bojack propped his feet up on the table. Raising the bottle in toast, the pirate leader grinned to his subordinate.  
"Well...to us, the survivors!"  
He then clumsily raised the entire bottle and started chugging; as far as he was concerned, providing alcohol was the best thing the Vargas had done yet.  
"Do you realize, there are only two of us left from the original group? It's crazy, right?" he said after emptying half the bottle.  
'Damn right, I know!' thought his sidekick.  
Bojack was too thick to catch on to the fact that Bujin had been bottling up his hatred and frustration. Clearly, he was tired of working for him...tired of him in general, for that matter.  
Finally it was down to just the two of them, although it would be temporary. Normally, their group would be three, and at the end of the tournament it would become so again. ‘Zangya will be revived eventually...unless you plan to kill her again!’ he thought as he continued to watch his chief drink.  
"How many did we have back then anyway? Twenty...thirty?" asked the latter, who didn’t realize that Bujin wasn’t enjoying their little conversation.  
"Twenty-seven," replied the henchman coldly.  
"Ha-ha! They really weren't very resistant were they...”  
And who was to blame? It was Bojack's fault, no one else’s, that twenty-seven had now been reduced to two! Bojack was just a chaotic leader: clumsy, rash, and the type to simply hurtle himself into a crowded fight. He was powerful, true, but equally ridiculous and foolhardy. He never had a plan. Of course, he would always get his own hands dirty...he was, after all, four times stronger than the others—even when they had also found a way to transform and become more powerful, like Gokua and Bido.  
Bojack was not a leader, not a commander or strategist. He was a loner who did whatever the heck he wanted. And for a brief moment, others flocked to join him and he decided to allow it...that was all. That's why, rather than being the masters of the universe, they were just a bunch of violent fools, drowning in wealth until they got bored and decided to change planets, destroying and killing all in their path.  
Bujin, like the rest of the team, had enjoyed the gratuitous violence while committing his share of atrocities. But that was decades ago, practically a different lifetime. It was time to move on, right?  
Bojack had been considering the situation in which Zangya died. She had been humiliated miserably, so for the pirate leader it was an easy decision to make—determining that she didn’t deserve to live. He would do no less for any of those who were once his companions, now dead. Bojack had never been one to hesitate, and would sacrifice anything to get what he wanted, even a comrade. If Zangya was resurrected at the end of the tournament, Bujin had little doubt that Bojack would just kill her again once they returned home.But right now, Bujin found himself alone with the greedy warrior, and would be careful, simply because he liked having his head remain atop his head. He had seen far too many examples to not realize how easily he could end up just like all the others. Bujin had actually been convinced that it wouldn’t be long anyway.  
Unless he very careful, and studied and waited for the right opportunity, there would be no chance of any plan of his working. For example, what if Bojack prevented Zangya from being revived at all? He would have to account for every possible scenario, every detail.  
Bujin thought back to the time when all was well and he didn’t have a care in the world. A time when they were the strongest. It wasn’t luck or coincidence, either. No, they deserved to be the strongest and they worked hard for it.

One day they were just suddenly released, their supernatural imprisonment broken. Bojack and the rest of his gang never knew why, as no explanation came nor did they wait around to receive one. They thought they could simply go back to their old lifestyle, picking up where they left off, but Bojack became distracted by a powerful force emanating from a very distant planet in space. Immediately, without even asking any questions, he ordered his group to investigate.It was the energy of Son Gohan and Cell that he had felt. The two were fighting on Earth, just after Goku had sacrificed himself in vain; teleporting Cell to the realm of the Kaios where he could explode without destroying the Earth. But the death of King Kaio had weakened the imprisonment of the Bojack gang, who had been able to break free, subsequently investigating the blue planet.  
It took them several days to arrive, though, as it was quite a long distance to Earth. The journey provided them ample time to contemplate the world, the most beautiful they had seen in their lives. Seizing the opportunity to once again simply steal what they desired, they decided to take over the world.  
The residents of the planet were pathetically weak, though great in number. Still, with the five of them, they could conquer the Earth in a single day. But strangely, the Earth had some exceptionally powerful fighters, who stood up to them. Not everyone in the group was human. There were three Saiyans and a Namek warrior as well...though initially, only the three humans, the Namek, and two of the Saiyans tried to stop them.  
Before they came across the fighters, they had wandered around and spotted a large tournament about to take place on an island. By mutual agreement, they decided to crash the party and participate, despite not being invited. Each member of the group broke up, sneaking out to face one of the four challengers one on one. That’s how Gokua ended up choosing to fight a young man with a sword on his back, just like him. He approached the fight rather casually, predicting his opponent would be a pushover. But even after expanding his power by transforming, Gokua was nothing compared to the Saiyan. During his last and equally futile attempt to win, Trunks punched straight through the green-skinned warrior’s gut, Gokua’s death being broadcast to thousands of viewers.  
It was not long before the rest of Bojack’s gang found themselves in the same situation, struggling against the most powerful warriors of the Earth.  
Both groups faced off, but that was only the first round. While the Earthlings had demanded that Bojack and his gang leave immediately, the pirate leader had other plans. Refusing to leave without a fight, he proposed one against one, his team against the Earthlings in a fair fight. But the Namekian knew better, uttering an insult and rushing the group. Bido quickly intervened and engaged his new opponent. The short bald Earthling helped Trunks, and together they attacked Zangya. Bujin wanted to fight against the man with the scar, but Tenshinhan, the man with three eyes, stepped in to help out. Bojack took on the last remaining foe: the youngest, a Saiyan.  
The boy did well against the Bojack Gang leader, but he had not yet transformed or begun to use his true power. Bujin, however, had no trouble getting rid of the two Earthlings, knocking both out quickly. Elsewhere, Bido was on par with the Namek, and Zangya amused herself with the little bald one while dodging the Saiyan. When the latter got angry and became a real threat, powering up, she kicked Kulilin away in order to properly deal with a more worthy opponent. If Gokua had been defeated by him, it meant that Trunks could potentially be a threat to her as well. She actually found herself on the run, strategically trying to avoid her own death until Bujin could come and help. When he finally did, he used his magical energy bonds technique to stop Trunks, paralyze him, and drain his energy.  
Son Gohan struck Bojack hard, sending him crashing into a building which collapsed upon impact. He quickly took advantage of this respite and rushed to help Piccolo out against Bido; the two were on nearly equal footing with one another. But Bojack was back quickly and ordered his henchman to assist Bujin and Zangya, deciding to take care of the Namek himself. Despite all Piccolo’s efforts, he could not cope with Bojack.  
But Zangya wanted to play a little more, so when Trunks was again paralyzed because of Bujin, assisted by Bido, she sought out Kulilin again. He was still unconscious. All the while keeping an eye on the Saiyan, she prepared to kill the bald Earthling. But she had not anticipated the intervention of another warrior, a blond woman whose power far exceeded that of a conventional Earthling.  
“Leave him alone!” she demanded.  
“Who are you, his girlfriend or something?” Zangya retorted.  
The woman did not answer. Curious, the redhead dropped Kulilin and turned to her. She was ready to accept the challenge, but mostly for the sake of enjoyment. “But before we begin, one last thing,” Zangya smiled wickedly. Then without looking, she reached a hand toward the human and fired an energy blast at his unconscious body.  
The blonde screamed in rage and lunged at Zangya. Their fight began while Trunks was still immobilized by Bujin and Bido, his struggle becoming more and more desperate. They were in complete control. Together, they were stronger than Trunks and had him completely contained. Then finally, his energy sapped dry, the Saiyan sank into unconsciousness. Both Bojack gang members laughed at the pitiful body of the warrior. But yet again, though it would be the last time, someone interrupted. Another Saiyan had just arrived.  
“I'm going to kill you,” the prince said, advancing toward them.  
They were not impressed, but Bojack still wanted to play with him. Vegeta instantly became a Super Saiyan, just as Trunks and Gohan had before him, and rushed Bojack. He fired rapid shots, but Bojack blocked them all without much effort and then counterattacked. The Saiyan managed to parry some of the leader’s blows but soon realized that he was outmatched and couldn’t win.  
Bojack knocked out his third opponent in the blink of an eye. Not far from him, Zangya had just finish her opponent as well. Android 18 had given her a little trouble, but not much; she was clearly the stronger of the pair.  
The four members of the gang regrouped around Bojack to savor their victory, but Gohan had suddenly risen back to his feet. Seeing his friends near death, he screamed and turned again into a Super Saiyan.  
“Aw? Is the little tyke upset?” Bojack chuckled. “Don’t cry, boy, let me ‘take care’ of you.”  
Bojack was now entitled to a new battle against the young Saiyan, whose anger seemed to have restored his strength. Unfortunately, he was not going easy this time. He was by far the stronger of the two, and took great pleasure in the gratuitous child violence; Bojack tortured the boy, crushing his bones and organs as he squeezed the life out of him. Gohan screamed in pain, his long cries piercing and terrible, until finally, the young Saiyan died. With a big smile on his face, Bojack dropped his prey lifelessly on the ground, laughing.  
“Very well. Time to kill the rest!”  
Suddenly, behind him, a strong energy shook the ground. Standing on top of the destroyed building was the Namek, whose wrath had just exploded.  
“Another angry fool?” Bojack said, turning to Piccolo.  
“Gohan! NOO!” cried the latter just before swinging at the Bojack gang leader.  
And for once in his life, Bido took the initiative. He wanted to finish his fight from before. He appeared in front of Bojack and launched a powerful attack that the Namek only narrowly managed to avoid. But Piccolo replied with a swirling kick to Bido’s face. Yet this time the creature merely smiled back at him.  
“Get outta my way!” cried the Namek, reigning down a flood of attacks on his opponent.  
They fought for a long time in melee, where they went blow for blow, but neither of them was able to gain the advantage. But this allowed Trunks time to wake up, rising into the air with a little difficulty as he was still somewhat numb. When he saw Piccolo fighting and his father unconscious beside him, he immediately wondered where Gohan was. That’s when he saw the boy lying dead on the ground; inert, lifeless at the feet of his murderer.  
His own anger suddenly burst onto the surface and Trunks began to transform once again, this time using all his energy. His muscles thickened up, tearing his jacket. His hair stood in thinner, more jagged strands atop his head. He was determined to get revenge for the murder of his mentor, and he now had the strength.  
Bujin then glanced over at Zangya, who understood immediately. Together, they encircled Trunks and re-initiated the same paralyzing technique as before. Despite the strong will of the Saiyan, he couldn’t find a way to escape the powerful binds; his strength would be sapped to nothing in mere moments. Once again, he could not keep his Super Saiyan transformation.  
“Trunks!” Piccolo shouted, worried.  
But Bido, seizing the momentary advantage, elbowed the Namek in his neck.  
“Don’t let your guard down!” he laughed.  
“You'd better give up,” said the henchman. His arms were casually crossed in front of the Namek, who was struggling just to get up. “Master Bojack might allow you to live...You'd become his favorite slave!”  
Piccolo rubbed his neck and spat.  
“You'd better not underestimate me...”  
He cracked the joints of his hands and moved into attack position. Then the Namek concentrated his strength for several seconds, charging and then firing his attack.  
“Die!”  
The force and speed of the attack completely surprised Bido. The ex-military grunt did not think his opponent still had that much energy in reserve. Having no time to dodge, Bido took the brunt of the attack. It exploded all around him with a large BAOOW.  
“Who's next?” the Namek said as he directed his gaze to Zangya and Bujin.  
If he could quickly eliminate them, it would allow Trunks to fight along with him, possibly giving them a small chance to win. But the pair merely smiled, along with Bojack who was laughing as hard as ever.  
“Nice demonstration...But don’t think the fight is over already...”  
Piccolo turned in shock, finding himself once again face to face with Bido, still smiling and alive. Stunned and amazed, Piccolo never even had a chance. Before he could think, two powerful blows struck his head on both sides, right on the temples. The impacts were simultaneous and devastating, nearly knocking the Namek out. Worse, he had absolutely no defense against Bido’s next attack, which blew a six inch hole in the left side of his torso.  
Piccolo fell to the ground...lifeless.  
“We’ve played around long enough...Finish them!” Bojack ordered.  
Bido was already preparing to attack Trunks, still trapped by Zangya and Bujin, but behind him he suddenly turned to see the last Saiyan standing charging up a powerful attack.  
“How dare you mock the Prince of Saiyans?!” he cried.  
Bido, confident, prepared to fight. He didn’t have a clue how much power Vegeta had put into the attack, though. But Bojack, standing behind him, wasn’t so foolish. He suddenly realized how much damage the attack was capable of dealing; it was anything but harmless.  
“Final Flash!”  
Vegeta yelled, firing his attack at Bido and Bojack, hoping to destroy them both. But the leader of the gang vanished, leaving Bido there on his own to face the full force of the Prince’s wrath. For a second, it seemed as if Bido might be able to contain the attack, but it quickly blew past his defenses after that. Overwhelmed by the completely superior power of Vegeta, Bido’s body began to break apart, disintegrating bit by bit.  
Vegeta smirked briefly, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a wad of blood being spat from his mouth. Bojack had appeared just behind him and run him through with just one hand. He was going to die, it was all over. Smiling, Bojack began to sadistically comment on the attempt.  
“Nice attack! But you become completely vulnerable afterwards...”  
Trunks, being forced to watch helplessly, couldn’t help but call out to his dad.  
“Father!”  
“Father? “Bojack chuckled.  
At the revelation of their kinship, Bojack laughed louder than usual. All this was simply too amusing for him to ignore.  
“Don’t you worry...You'll join him soon!”  
Bojack approached the son of Vegeta himself. The boy was clearly frightened, having seen almost every one of his friends die. He tried again, struggling to free himself from the energy bonds, but in vain. Amused, Bojack hit him again and again. Finally, he got bored of pounding on the boy and decided to finish it with the coupe de grace.  
The only ones who remained now were the unconscious humans. While certainly far more powerful than any others on the planet, they weren’t near the Saiyans in strength or the Namek for that matter. Without remorse, Bojack went and crushed the neck of each one under his boot.  
The defenders of the Earth were all defeated. And the mysterious "Mr. Satan", the so-called martial arts champion of the world, could not stop them. After the tournament they took control of the Earth, becoming Kings, and demanded a huge palace be built for them by the humans. They remained there for several months, enjoying the most beautiful planet in this part of the universe, along with the joys of being masters of the whole world. But after a while they grew bored with the mundane trifles of ruling and having their every needs met by slaves. Bojack and his gang were accustomed to fighting, it was what they lived for. And they were always thirsty for conquest; it wasn’t long until they left.  
After all three of them left Earth they attacked hundreds of worlds together. Everyone everywhere began to fear them, hearing of their conquests and ruthlessness. They quickly surpassed even the fame of Freeza. His old empire eventually became known, instead, as the empire of Bojack...While Bujin sat alone in the corner, Babidi grumbled once again at Dabra. He kept him alive; it was a precious present. But he was not going to leave him a chance furthermore. He still repeated to him and although in the slightest new wrong step, it was finished.  
Though Dabra was very pleased he didn't have to fight another battle...  
On the contrary, Babidi, as usual, congratulated Majin Buu, and still encouraged him as always. His next fight against the South Kaioshin thrilled him a lot. He knew that at the time of his father, millions of years before, he had conquered them. This time it would be different, the wizard was sure of it.  
As for Nappa, he impatiently awaited his match against Freeza. As of right then, he was bored, just like his three other comrades. The Saiyans were avid of action, and were accustomed to a world where everything revolved around them. There was nothing to do in their quiet and solitary room… During a small discussion between Raditz and Nappa, the former learned of the large Saiyans plan he would use against Freeza. Planning wasn't Nappa's strong suit. Raditz decided to simply convince him to change the plan. He needed a moment to think so that a superb idea would pop into his head. He smiled, then explained his new idea to his comrade.  
The Cyborgs of the universe 14, had no plan. Just simply "fight and win". It seemed to be working so far, since they both managed to quite easily win the first round, however the young blonde was still worried. It could be said that she had been beaten, by Yamcha! For #17, it was nothing. Of course he had no answer to give his sister, who started to no longer want to participate in the tournament. The teenage Cyborg only had his mind on one thing: Son Goku. He would finally be able to fight him soon enough. He was delighted to have the chance. However he made it clear to himself that he didn't want to fight him because Gero had intended it for revenge, but it was because he himself wanted to kill him.  
The previous adversary #17 would have had to fight: I'k'l, still hadn't been born. His or her mother was probably in last few days of her pregnancy. Would he or she have been born that night? Or the morning? Or even before the end of the tournament? Perhaps the mother herself didn't even know…  
In the universe 19 balcony, the warriors excelling in the field of the technology were mostly bored. With one death, and one Ultra armor lost, it was already much. Xeniloum couldn't bear the idea of losing, but it was still better than somehow losing his valuable armor. It was his life. Without it, he was nothing. Just a small creature.  
Eleim was resting in his room, about ready to sleep when someone knocked on his door. It was Xeniloum." A problem?" asked the chief of the unit as Xeniloum entered.  
" I... I want to recover my armour."  
Eleim was surprised. He didn't answer immediately, as he considered his request. They could try and get their armor, in the in space of universe 4, however, it could be dangerous. There was perhaps only one way to recover it and also use diplomatic channels.  
"We will go and see the Vargas." finally said Eleim.  
Cell always waited standing in the middle of his space. He had no difficulty in perceiving his surroundings, without looking. Several members from the universe 19 headed for the Vargas. But Cell made fun of them. To him, the warriors of universe 19 were only midgets.  
The self-proclaimed 'perfect' being shut his eyes.

When he opened them, he knew it was the right time to act. He uncrossed his arms and walked to his left, toward the universe 14 balcony. There was no one outside to observe 17 and 18. He found the twins in separate rooms. It was that simple again. He entered the boy's room without knocking. The latter had time to open your eyes. Cell quickly extracted his tail in an attempt to absorb # 17.  
He was capable of it, having spent hours changing its metabolism to allow this evolution. All this thanks to the Vargas.  
He took only a minute to absorb the first of the twins. However, as opposed to what he had imagined, Cellt didn't change a form like the previous times. It wasn't a problem, however. It was going to enable him to pass unperceived to the eyes of the other combatants.  
Without losing an instant, the living being created by Dr. Gero entered 18's room. Like her brother, she smelt a foreign presence too late. Cell quickly absorbed her as well... however, once more, his body didn't change.  
But her strength, had far exceeded his imagination! And that was only the beginning.  
After leaving the space 14, he continued his road to go towards the universe 9 balcony. There was another Cyborg over there he could absorb: Yamcha. Trusting his instincts, Cell opened the door of a room. What he thought was the scar-faced Cyborg's room, was actually that of the girl, Videl's. He had no interest in her though. He was about to leave, but Videl had sensed his presence, got up at a great speed, picked up her half sword and, sounded the Kaioken technique at its at maximum power. She attacked him in the back. The rest of the blade broke on his spine but it was to no avail; Cell was completely unharmed. He turned around backhanded the young teen. Although he wanted to retain his full force, this attack broke the neck of the young Earthling. Too bad. Cell went to open another room. Bingo. Yamcha was inside with the old Bulma.  
Cell prepared to absorb the Cyborg. He woke with a little more speed than the others, managing to stop Cell's attack. But the next shot didn't fly. Bulma tried stop him, throwing pathetic punches by his standards, tearfully, in vain. While Yamcha's absorption was almost complete, the old dwarf Kulilin made his entrance, red with anger, unless it was the effect of Kaioken. His anger was useless against the perfect creature. He reached out to the dwarf, and shot a blast of Ki energy. He was nothing more. Disintegrated. He resolved to remove Bulma in the same way.  
Now that that was over, he only had one more person to see. Cell creeped into space 12. It was enough easy to find Android # 16. He sat in the hallway. Trunks should be in a room. It was to Cell's advantage since it's impossible to feel the external energy from inside.  
#16 was activated, he stood up, and tightly clenched his fists. Unfortunately for him, his slow programming didn't enable him to avoid being pierced through his chest Cell's hand. When Cell withdrew his hand, the robot fell inert. He was holding 16's battery then he swallowed it. Again, another surge of energy travelled throughout his perfect body. This time it was good he couldn't go any further.  
He regained his space, took exactly the same position, and waited again.  
The tournament resumed. Cell had beaten his opponent Bojack by way of death. Snapping his neck. He then faced the one called Tapion who had won against Kulilin by forfeit, unknown to anyone, Cell had killed him with his own hands. Tapion attacked him with a sword. Cell was now much faster and without anyone noticing, he deflected the path of the sword of his opponent. It looked as if Tapion had pierced his own heart with his sword.  
In his third fight, he fought the quater Saiyan known as Pan. She had defeated both Kakarotto and Vegeta, defeating the former in her just recently achieved Super Saiyan formthat her father had used to defeat him in many of the universes, and the latter in the form of Super Saiyan with long hair she had seen on two occasions. Against him, Pan had no chance. She was crushed easily.  
His next fight was against Son Goku, who they all placed great hopes in. Cell had been forced to yield to the evidence he had become too strong. The finale was against the one known as Vegetto, the Potara fusion of Goku and Vegeta, he won in under a few minutes.  
The victory allowed him to receive a wish with the Vargas.  
"What is your wish, great warrior?" asked a Namek.  
Cell thought about it for a moment, then shyly replied:  
"In fact… The juniors need a mommy, and I need to find true love!" he declared with a voice slightly trembling but full with emotion.   
"OK!" said Porunga, the great, Namekian Dragon. He managed to make his dearest wish come true. In front of Cell, on the ring, appeared a creature much like him. She was more slender and pink with a beautiful small buttocks.  
'Wow!... She's a hottie!' thought the living being of Gero.  
The female approached him, batting her eyes. They immediately fell in love with one another, and without a word, they kissed before billions of viewers.  
Everyone was delighted by this ending of the Multiverse tournament. Goku and Vegeta even had the same felling for eachother that Cell had for his true love. "Kakarotto... I... I've always love you!" said Vegeta, placing his hand on the other Saiyan's shoulder.  
Son Goku rubbed his hand along Vegeta's cheek, staring lovingly into his eyes.. "I've always known..."  
"I love it when a plan comes together!" The tall green Namek said, witnessing the two.  
With to the mother of his juniors with him, they left immediately flew toward space, while flying away, hand in hand. Arriving on an asteroid, Cell played a guitar and sang for his beloved.  
They lived happily ever after, had a lot of little Cells, and destroyed the entire universe.  
Cell opened his eyes. A drop of sweat beaded his forehead.  
'I have to stop sleeping while standing! it plays tricks on me... ' thought Cell, recalling a similar dream in which he absorbed Kulilin instead of # 18, when waiting ten days before the start of the Cell Games all those years ago...  
Son Bra was bored in the luxurious apartments provided by the Vargas. She kept a bitter taste after defeating Zangya, accidentally killing her while struggling to control her anger after Zangya's insensitive provocation over Pan's death. Additionally, she was outraged to see Bojack show no sign of remorse about causing the death of her comrade. Further infuriating her, he even told the trainer Namek to get rid of her lifeless body as if it were an old sock lying the floor....Bra was lying down, trying to relax and calm her desire to murder the space pirate. Before falling asleep, she recalled the various events that had taken place since the beginning of the tournament.  
Bra inherited the proud nature of her father, Vegetto, a trait common in Saiyan warrior's. She naturally followed him without any hesitation when the Vargas came to pick them up in the universe 16. The Multiverse Tournament provided her with the unique opportunity to meet new opponents, and also the best way for her to test her power. She wanted to face opponents as strong as her, or even moreso. She wanted to go beyond her limits. She thought long and hard about the progress of the tournament; the losses, the victories, and more. When she learnt the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly, would participate, Vegetto's daughter felt nothing but joy. Mostly due to the fact that, other than her father, it was the only adversary on her level.  
She was extremely surprised when she saw the titanic struggle between her father and the Saiyan of legend. She was forced to admit to herself that even she, the daughter of the strongest man in the universe, would have been useless against him. When the Buu of universe 4 sought to absorb Broly by taking advantage of the weakened Vegetto, together, he and Bra were able to stop their opponent without much of a problem. And yet, in a fit of anger, she had nearly killed her own brother and father... This Buu was more powerful than the one Vegetto defeated in their universe. He was intelligent, all of his actions were calculated. Again, she wasn't on his level.  
Another fighter had also attracted her attention. It was the mysterious Gast Carcolh of universe 7. He's been calm and remained in place since the beginning of the tournament. He faced Cell Junior of universe 17, which had been powered up by its father. During this battle, the Namek wasn't at all thoroughly damaged, and she felt that his power was much greater than hinted. Bra thought Piccolo was the most powerful Namek in any universe; Gast Carcolh was much more powerful. How could she explain such a phenomenon? She even came to think that he might be able to compete with her father father, Vegetto. She eventually fell asleep looking forward to the second round of the tournament.Suddenly Bra awoke with a fresh start. She felt that something was wrong, but couldn't tell what it was. She concentrated in an attempt to sense what was happening outside. The apartments were isolated from each other, therefore it was impossible to sense any energy inside.  
'I must be home sick... I'm just going to jump out to see if everything is alright and then go back to bed' she thought as she got dressed quickly. She was surprised to leave her room only to see Vegetto, Gohan and Videl who had also left their rooms.  
"What's going on?" Bra asked them. You, too, must've felt that something changed?  
"Yes." Vegetto replied bluntly. "While apartments are isolated, I had a premonition. I went to wake up Gohan only to see him already coming to me."  
"That's right." the latter replied, frowning. Videl insisted on accompanying me.  
"I see..." said Bra as she crosse her arms. "Where are Goten and Trunks? They didn't come here? Maybe they're sleeping? If that's the case, then I'll wake up in my own way..." added Bra, cracking the he knuckles.  
"It's not worth it." said a double voice Bra knew all too well. She turned around and saw Gotenks smiling, arms folded on the side.  
"Huh? What are you doing here? Why'd you fuse?" she asked with a hint of exasperation in her voice.  
"The great Gotenks is here because we felt we may have some fun. We heard Dad on his way to wake up Gohan, and we thought we could join the fun! And it's you who should go back to sleep, little Ms. bundle of nerves!" Gotenks replied with a mocking smile on his lips. In response, Bra grabbed Gotenks by the neck and pinned him against a wall with the other fist raised toward him. Curiously, he didn't even attempt to dodge, he just simply smiled even harder. Both Gohan and Videl sighed while Vegetto smiled. He didn't want to intervene in order to see whether Bra could resist Gotenks' provocations.  
"Call me like that again and I swear I'll break your face!"  
"Just don't get in our way, bundle of nerves!" retorted Gotenks, who seemed not at all impressed and just continued smiling.  
Bra then remembered the reason she left her room. She released her brother and moved towards their external space. Vegetto signaled for Gotenks, Videl and Gohan to follow them. Once they arrived, they noted that most participants were in their respective spaces, whereas the Vargas ran in all the directions with frightened cries. The audience members also seemed terrified and pointed their fingers at something. Something was levitating above them but remained in the shadows. Then a demonic laughter rang throughout the arena which suddenly brightened.  
"What is this?" cried the West Kaioshin.  
A strange creature was unveiled before them: it was horned, its body and skin were made up of several colors: purple, black, red, green. Just like Tenshinhan, it had a third eye in the middle its forehead which glowed bright yellow as the other two did as well. No one could venture a guess as to what race this creature was, or if it was an opponent some of the participants faced in the past. Was it Freeza? Cell? Hildegarne? A fusion of the three perhaps? Nobody knew. The creature continued to laugh for a few seconds before being interrupted by the army of Vargas. They flew their Mecha robots at least three meters high, all equipped with sophisticated weapons and lightsabers.  
"You've entered this place without being authorized!" shouted the commander of the army, his voice amplified by a microphone which cause his voice to echo throughout the arena. "Please identify yourself!"  
In response, the strange creature bursted into another maniacal laughing fit. Without waiting a second longer, the pilots of the Mechas attempted to immobilize the interloper, who, with a sweep his back hand, destroyed all of the robots in the vicinity, including the Vargas 3000-Z and even the commander-in-chief who piloted the famous Mecha K.R.O.T.E. The audience was surprised, Vargas technology had been rendered useless by a horned animal! The South Kaioshin wanted to intervene but refrained before doing so as the West Kaioshin placed her hand on his shoulder.  
"Let the strange creature speak! We mustn't put the spectators nor the participants of the tournament in danger." Ideally, they decided to give it a microphone.  
In the space reserved for the universe 18, unsuccessfully trying to find out who this creature was, Son Goku continued to search his memory. He's never seen it before. As was also the case for the rest of his companions. Yet, it seemed very powerful. A Vargas was appointed to bring the microphone to the creature who quickly seized before landing on the ground.  
"My name is Ozotto! I am feared and revered in numerous systems! I'm very disappointed to not be considered to participate in this ridiculous tournament! But I've decided to take matters into my own hands since you wouldn't offer it to me, even after you already arrived in my universe!  
"But what do you want?" asked the frightened Varga who snatched the microphone from his hands.  
"It's very simple, I'll destroy you all! Ha ha ha ha! This world won't survive Ozotto! This is my will!"  
It was at that precise moment that the East Kaioshin decided to speak.  
"You say that we came to your world. You must be mistaken, perhaps you're referring to Vargas of your own universe?  
"No, I know the difference! I'm speaking of Vargas of this universe. They came to my universe some time already!" screamed Ozotto.  
"How did you get here? ventured to ask the Varga who stood before him.  
"Ah, finally a relevant question! said Ozotto with a big smile. I'd be happy to answer in this case. Magic!  
In the arena, all of those present were surprised by these remarks. However, the most surprised were the Kaioshins themselves. There's another being capable of opening portals and attaining inter-universe travel apart from them? How was this possible?  
"That's very useful indeed." added the Varga sweating profusely before him. "Are you here alone?"  
"If only it was also simple! In my world, I am the leader of an empire which tries to take over the Earth. My enemies won't hesitate to follow me here...  
At the same time, while Vargas continued to shout 'Kwak kwak!' running in all directions, a dimensional portal opened in front of the space in the universe 18. Emerald green, it seemed like trying to snatch the persons nearby.  
Five lights energy welled up suddenly and landed on the ground with a deafening noise until the portal closed behind them.  
"Presence of Ozotto confirmed, we've arrived at our destination. Good work!" said a female voice.  
"Are you sure, Marron?" questioned a male voice that Goku and company recognized instantly.  
"Confirmed!" said another voice familiar participants of the universes 12, 16, and 18. "Apparently it hasn't done any damage. We have an opportunity to end it once and for all with this demon."  
"Perfect!" said another masculine voice that Goku and Gohan recongnized.  
"Yajirobe-sensei, we shouldn't hurt innocent people" said a childlike voice.  
"Yeah, I know."  
The smoke generated by the explosion eventually dissipated, revealing the identities of Ozotto's enemies."Come on." cursed Ozotto "The cavalry has arrived..."  
Surprise was easily seen on the faces of the participants of universes 12, 16 and 18.  
"Papa? Grandfather?" said Pan, stunned.  
"Dad? Gohan?" Videl couldn't believe his eyes.  
"Gohan? Satan? Marron?" said the two Piccolo's, Goku, Vegeta, Vegetto and Bra simultaneously.  
"Gohan, it is really you?" said Trunks of the universe 12.  
"But... That's me!" Both Gohan's said in unision.  
Two of the five people were indeed Gohan and Mr. Satan. Bra of the universe 16 recognized her big brother. However, he was different. He had a scar on his cheek but had no hair standing on end like his counterparts in both universe 16 and 18. He wore the same outfit as Goku, and had only one arm.  
Mr. Satan stood in place; they were surprised to see he was nothing like the Mr. Satan they knew. He wore a cowboy hat, a dark blue uniform with a star above and over a long brown coat. One could see he had not shaved for a good time, and one could see in his eyes that he was not to be taken lightly.  
"Mr. Satan?" he said, smiling as if this name evoked the distant past as he adjusted the hat on his head. No one has called me that name for a long time... I changed my name after seeing a really cool television series, with a charismatic hero. I became like him. Now my name is Chuck. And he's Mirai Gohan.  
Upon hearing his name, Mirai Gohan turned to the spaces 12, 16 and 18 and smiled.  
"Chief…" Mirai Gohan began, turning to the man now called Chuck.  
"Gohan, you have the right to say hello to your father and your friends." said Chuck with a big smile.  
Mirai Gohan turned to Goku and his companions that he had so lost long ago. Tears formed then streamed down his eyes as he recognized some of them.  
"Hi, Dad! It's really fun to see you! You too, Piccolo-san! Vegeta, you're still the same as I remember! Is Mom there too? I wanna see her!"  
"Hi, son! You're different, you've sure had to live through some terrible events! And no, your mother's not here with us, sorry."  
Gohan was about to answer when Marron placed a hand on his shoulder. In the universe 16 and 18, she was the daughter of Kulilin and # 18. Twenty-five years into the future. She also wore the same clothes as Goku; the only difference being that she had kung fu shoes on instead of his regular blue boots. Her long hair was tied up and formed a ponytail.  
"Gohan, we can't stay and talk, we have to neutralize Ozotto."  
"Dad, I'll take care of this monster with my teammates. I'll be back to talk to you after."  
Mirai Gohan advanced in the direction of the monster, Chuck and Marron walking side-by-side. Just beside them was a man was held with long brown hair and brown eyes. He was a little shorter than Gohan, and he carried the same medieval behaviour and the two swords commonly possessed by samurai in universes 16 and 18. He had a scouter on his right eye like the Saiyan's. His name was Yajirobé. Lastly, a final character appeared. He had the size of a eight year old child. He was shirtless, and muscular. He wore white pants topped with a sort of red skirt. He had black hair in battle, a Saiyan head with a collar around his neck, and wore armbands and matching boots. He was called Broly Jr. The whole audience was surprised to see thesefive warriors. Overcoming his fear, The Vargas in front Ozotto snatched the microphone from Ozotto's hand and announced there was a new danger to impress many in their universe.  
"Dear audience, you can follow the adventures of the legendary heroes through adaptations of Saban! A round of applause for the Power Rangers!"  
The crowd seemed transported by hearing this name and applauded each one more than the other  
"Well, well! They also know the Power Rangers?" said Trunks of the universe 18.  
"Apparently" replied Goten. "But look how bazaar the audience is acting since they heard that name...."  
The five heroes who were arriving, on the other hand, weren't pleased to have heard this name. Yajirobe flew up to the Vargas quickly, stealing the microphone from his hands. He wanted to hit him. Hard. But he was countered by Marron, who took the microphone, and said:  
"Ladies and gentlemen. A few years ago, a man named Bansa came to our world. To popularize us, he decided 'to adapt' our adventures by calling us 'Power Rangers'. But we didn't tell the truth about us: The five people you see here, we are the agency of Super Power Walker Texas Ranger in space. We are warriors Sentaï!  
A deafening silence echoed through the arena after this revelation.  
"Good." abruptly made Vegetto. "I'll leave it to you."  
"Where are you going? asked Gotenks while Gohan and Videl exchanged a look that spoke volumes.  
"I'm going to see the Namek of universe 7.  
"What? Bra was astonished. But why?  
"I don't know... Hopefully to play nice.... Hopefully."  
Bra didn't know what to say and looked at her father moving towards the reserved space for universe 7: Gast Carcolh remained in place, impassive while observing Ozotto. He diverted his eyes and saw the fused Saiyan approaching. They were observed in silence during a long moment. To indicate that the last Namek of universe 7 didn't scare easy, he decided to transform into a Super Saiyan 2. He hoped to destabilize him there, but still, Gast Carcolh didn't show any emotion and was satisfied with crossing his arms in front of Vegetto.Some participants didn't seem to pay attention to the intrusion of Ozotto in the universe 1. The 'Super Saiyans' of universe 13 engaged in some fierce Kem's. Buu of universe 4 was bored counting grains of sand. A few minutes earlier he inadvertently absorbed a somewhat disturbed Varga who liked to spend his time playing with sand ... As for the girls of the universe 6, looked online the HoloNet Inter-Universal for the latest trends in fashion.  
"Good." the moment came, said Chuck as he adjusted his hat.  
"Exactly, Chief." added Marron while stretching. It all ends today.  
"Ozotto will disappear once and for all." said Mirai Gohan before taking off, leaving a golden aura trail behind him -- a characteristic of the Super Saiyans.  
"Perfect!" said Yajirobé by pulling out his sword. And with one less threat, we'll be able to celebrate our victory tonight with a feast!"  
"I only hope to be up to par." said Broly Jr., tighly clenched his fists to his sides.  
The five warriors charged on Ozotto, who broke out in laughter once again.The five warriors fought as if they were one powerful force against Ozotto who parried the attacks with relative ease.  
“Not bad... they’re powerful enough, but their style is... What’s the word for it? Peculiar! It reminds me of those horrible Bruce Li films that they play on TV,” commented Vegeta.  
“I’d say it’s a combination of the style of the Bio Rangers and the Power Men,” corrected Gohan of Universe 18, the living bible of the Super Sentai Series.  
“In any case, I’m astonished by Satan’s power. I would never have believed that a larva like him could possibly succeed in reaching this level. And the most surprising of them all is to see an active Yajirobe. In our universe, he spends his days eating our reserves of senzus...”  
“Stop!” yelled the samurai.  
Yajirobe, his face florid, approached Vegeta.  
“Always criticizing others! Always trying to look better than everyone else! Oh, look at me! I’m Vegeta, the prince of Saiyans. I’m better than everyone. I got beaten by Goku, Reacum, Freeza, #18, and Cell but I’m still superior to you worthless insects. Blah blah blabbity Blah! You don’t know shit about us! In our universe, you were already dead when we faced the great Doctor Willow, Lord Slug and Super Android 13! If you hadn’t wasted your time demeaning them, I’m sure that Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Kulilin would be right here among us!  
A hand rested on the tortured samurai’s shoulder... It was that of Chuck, who spoke to his brother in arms with a look filled with compassion.  
“You’re facing the wrong opponent, my friend. We’re here today to end the reign of a tyrant, not to settle our debts with ghosts of the past.”  
“You... You’re right... I thought that I had turned that page already, that I was above all that, but... Hey! Who’s playing the violin?!?”  
Chuck and Yajirobe turned their heads towards the melancholy melody and saw Buu of Universe 4 playing a Stradivarius. Sensing that he was being observed, the djinn stopped.  
“What? I just wanted to enhance your dramatic dialogue with appropriate music.”  
“Pull yourself together, Yajirobe! We’ve all had a painful past,” said Marron.  
“We’re a family now. Together, we can make anything happen!” added Mirai Gohan.  
“Wait a minute... If you four are all here, that means...”  
The quartet realized that they had left Broly Junior alone to face the cruel and despicable, who was cracking his fists with a grin.  
“I can do it! I have the potential of my father,” said the young boy, trying hard not to tremble.“Mwa ha ha ha ha! This’ll be as easy as stealing a lollipop from a baby.”  
The stupor was visible on all the tournament’s participants.  
“Oh no, another Legendary Saiyan! We need to neutralize him before he gets too powerful!” cried the Kaioshin of the East.  
In his space, Buu salivated and whipped out a knife and fork. “Cool! I’m finally going to get my Legendary Super Saiyan stew!!”  
Ozotto’s diabolical smile widened. “The son of Broly... So that’s your little secret. I must admit, I was slightly suspicious when I heard your name. You played with fire, my dear Chuck Super Sentai of Risk. You’ve awakened a monster almost as strong as me. You just dug your own grave!” said the tyrant, ending his sentence with a diabolical laugh.  
“At that moment, Broly Junior rushed towards the tournament participants. Chuck appeared behind him and put the Saiyan in a hold.  
“Calm down, son! Don’t yield to your anger! I know you’re better than your father, so return to normal for me... for the team...”  
“Mister Chuck...”  
A tear rolled down the cheek of the enraged Saiyan as his body deflated and returned to normal.  
“I’m sorry! I didn’t want to do it! But when he mentioned the stolen lollipop, I thought back to kindergarten and that brute Cachalot, who stole my candy.”  
“It’s nothing, son. You managed to control your anger. I’m proud of you and... Enough with the violin, dammit!” Chuck cried.  
“Pff! Killjoy,” Buu said, replacing his instrument.  
“Hey! Ozotto’s up to something!” shouted Gohan.  
The vile monster had opened four dimensional portals.  
“Mwa ha ha ha ha! I’m able to open a passage to the birthplace of air, earth, fire and water. Prepare yourselves... to suffer the elemental evil!”  
A violent surged from the gates and enveloped the Chuck squadron, and slamming against the barrier protecting the audience, a strong jet of water kept the group against the invisible wall.  
“It’s a shame that the woman didn’t have a white T-shirt. I could’ve seen if she was worthy to bear my child,” said Kakarotto, diverting his eyes from the cards in his hand.“Shut up, you dirty pervert!” Vegeta ordered, annoyed by his subject’s obsession towards members of the opposite sex.  
A fiery explosion ended the dispute, as the malefic Saiyans saw the five defenders of justice crash heavily to the ground.  
“And now... the coup de grâce!” cried Ozotto mid-flight.  
The last portal spat a shower of stones; Chuck and his friends were quickly buried under a mountain of rocks.  
“A beautiful tomb... And now, it’s time for me to turn my attention to the participants of this so-called tournament.”  
“Don’t bury us too soon,” said Chuck.  
An explosion of energy sent the rocks flying into space. The five warriors flew and faced the monster.  
“It’s time to get serious! Squadron Transformation!”  
The five members of the Walker Texas Rangers of Space pulled a badge from their pockets, stretched out their right arms, and their badges emitted a light which covered the valiant warriors. When the flash disappeared, they were each dressed in an outfit similar to that of the Great Saiyaman. However, the color differed with each member of the squadron: Chuck was red, Mirai Gohan was green, Yajirobe’s tunic was black, while Broly Junior was blue. Marron, the only female member of the squadron, was dressed in pink. The group began the traditional and obligatory dance of the Super Sentai.  
“It’s magnificent! It reminds me of our own squadron when it was complete,” Jeece exclaimed with tears.  
“It’s a pity that the commander couldn’t see it. He would have loved it,” said Butta, visibly moved.  
“Perfect choreography, well-coordinated with quick and elegant combos,” said Gohan of Universe 16 in admiration.  
“A geek and two retarded teens. I’m not really spoiled with my brothers,” said Son Bra, tired.  
“What are you, a ball of nerves? You don’t seem to be enjoying the show,” Gotenks remarked with a smirk.  
The daughter of Vegetto clenched her fists and looked over the shoulder of the fused boy. There she saw her father watching patiently. She began to wonder if Vegetto hadn’t asked Gotenks to provoke her to see if she could control her anger. It was a logical choice, as she would suffer from the fact that Gotenks had the combined defects of both her brothers.  
“Cat got your tongue, ball of nerves?”  
“No... How about you? Liking the show?”  
“Aww yeah!”  
“Now wonder... You have to have the mental capacity of a four-year-old to enjoy this fight.”  
Gotenks’ mouth gaped, speechless. Son Bra couldn’t even restrain a smile; she had beaten her brothers at their own game.  
“Okay, we’ll try to finish it now! We’ll use this combination: bottom right diagonal, right, then punch!” Chuck cried.  
“Here we go! Mega punch to the face!” Broly Junior cried, striking Ozotto with his fist which released a charged kikoha.  
The monster crashed into the floating ring.  
“Uh... Broly Junior, can I talk to you for a minute?”  
“Yeah, Chuck?”  
“You should find a better name for your technique... something that has more class.”  
“Justice Kamehameha!” Mirai Gohan cried.  
“You see? That’s just to say that your partner is a good example.”  
Marron raised her right arm to the sky.  
“Oh? Will she use her father’s technique?” Goku commented.  
The Saiyan was almost right. Pink energy emitted from the hand of the daughter of Kulilin and formed a flat heart, which quickly began rotating.  
“The attack of love! Ai Kienzan!”  
The heart was launched twoards Ozotto, who sliced it into two.  
“Mwah ha ha ha ha! It’s useless to resist, you poor idiot! I can regenerate my body and replenish it!”  
“Oh yeah? Will it work if I cut you into small pieces too?” Yajirobe asked, unsheathing his sword.  
The modern-day samurai reduced the galactic tyrant to several small pieces. With each slice, a Japanese Kanji appeared.  
“Daddy, what’s written over there? I can’t see it,” wondered Pan.  
“I think it says ‘Read Dragon Ball, Destroyer of Races’ said her father, who wore excellent glasses.  
As the pieces of Ozotto reassembled themselves, Chuck appeared before the monster, his fist charged spiritual energy.  
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, the coup de grâce! Super-Ultimate-Omega-It’s-Over-Nine-Thousand-Megaton-Punch-of-Death-that-Kills! You don’t know it yet, but you’re already dead...”  
A violent explosion appeared as soon as Chuck touched Ozotto, and the five defenders of justice, love, and freedom landed on the ground.  
“Is it over?” asked Marron.  
A diabolical laughter broke through the cloud of smoke caused by the explosion.  
“Over? You really thought that shabby chain of attacks would kill me, Ozotto, fruit of the combined geniuses of Babidi and Doctor Gero?! Poor fools... You haven’t seen my real face. Prepare to face the first of my three metamorphoses!!”  
“Oh, a villain who transforms... What a surprise!” Piccolo of Universe 18 quipped.  
“It’s true that it’s odd that the majority of enemies that we’ve encountered have had the ability to transform and become stronger,” Goku admitted.  
Ozotto uttered a loud cry, and his mighty power grew. The cloud of smoke cleared, finally revealing the new form of Ozotto. The vile beast now had a thick, black, and bushy moustache. The participants, the organizers, and the public all fell backwards. Only the five members of the Chuck Super Sentai seemed to observe Ozotto with any seriousness.  
“It’s worse than I thought! We should have brought the Shenronzorg with us,” Mirai Gohan said.  
“And the Porungazorg as well,” Marron added.  
“Yeah, we could have assembled them to activate the Super MegaDragonzorg,” concluded Broly Junior.   
“Well, what nerve! We’re far from having played all our cards,” protested Yajirobe.  
“Courage, my friend. We still have the Power,” said Chuck.  
“I’m tired of this! We need someone dedicated enough to stop this charade!” cried Son Bra.  
“You’re right, little sister! It’s time for a true hero to confront this abomination! Get ready, uh, you big zozo. You’re gonna face the beautiful, the one and only... GOTENKS!!”  
The fused being did not feel alone; he turned his head to the right and saw his counterpart of Universe 18.  
“Oh no, not again!” both Gotenks said simultaneously.  
Both Gotenks tried a duel to see which of the two would fight against Ozotto. They tried Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock. During the fusion time, they did exactly the same things. And even later, when they split into Trunks and Goten once again, they only managed to copy each other...  
Bra quickly moved her eyes away to regard Ozotto and his new moustache, who once again was attacked by the five gigolos.Her mind clouded with doubt, Son Bra watched the band of heroes who delivered the assault. Something felt wrong... ever since she woke up. But what? She couldn’t put her finger on it...  
Staring intently through his malefic eyes, Ozotto evoked two powerful red rays from his eyes. The group separated to dodge the attack; the ring exploded, hit by the destructive beam, and shattered into pieces of different sizes and shapes.  
Mirai Gohan swerved over the blocks, jumping on each of them to launch himself further, before jumpingly fiercely towards the monster. He waved his missing arm--his stump, if you prefer--and bellowed, “Go go gadget fist!!”  
And from his forearm a boxing glove (which had been mounted on a spring) popped out, striking his enemy right in the face. A molar tooth popped right out of its socket and shone for a brief moment in the soft spotlight. Ozotto ran his tongue over the empty space in his mouth, his smile quickly fading.  
“Hell and damnation! And to think... Mic please!”  
One of the Vargas hastened to bring a microphone, which the shadowy figure swiftly seized.  
“And to think,” he pursued, “that I killed the last prosthetic dentist in my universe just last Saturday!! It’s high time that I extend my supremacy upon ALL the universes, so that I can receive I dese...”  
The terrible monster did not finish because, just as he was describing his life with such great passion, Marron had launched a Frisbee in the shape of a crescent moon between his lips, which drew an awful displeased grin on Ozotto’s face.  
“Marron, my necklace!” Broly Jr. shouted as fled full speed towards Ozotto to recover his property.  
“It’s about time that you got rid of these girls ornaments,” Chuck growled as he rushed after Broly Junior.  
Ozotto spit the crescent-shaped disc so violently that the young Saiyan was hit with a volley of spit in his face. He stopped dead in his tracks and wiped his face with frantic gestures. Chuck hesitated for a moment and finally decided to help the boy. His hair was thick enough to clean the spit of the evil and unhygienic Ozotto, for sure.  
Meanwhile, the molar that had fallen to the ground had mutated into some sort of albino Saibaman; Yajirobe, followed closely by Marron, faced it off with the ends of his blade. The little ivory monster moved with strength and agility. The young girl with blonde braids tried to reach it... but in vain! The transformed molar had the grace of a ballerina and it spun between the swings of the sword, punching and kicking as if it had carefully studied the choreography of his opponents.  
Broly was now as clean as new; he could finally go in search of his necklace. His eyes shone with concern; it seemed that this piece of jewelry was of particular importance to him. A lucky charm, perhaps?  
Whatever it was, the boy had unwittingly offered an easy target for the cruel Ozotto. Fortunately, Mirai Gohan, like the eye of the ranger hanging over his town, was watching. The semi-Saiyan with the slashed cheek threw himself forward.  
“Go Go Gadget La Ra’Fa Bian!”  
It was now or never! The enemy, confused and disoriented, could be defeated!  
Chuck then dashed forward, uttering a manly groan, and struck the monster in his stomach with both feet joined together.  
Ozotto was catapulted back, but he came to his senses and retorted with an avenging hand, which grasped Chuck’s thick mane of hair.  
“Tic, toc, tic, toc,” stated the creature sardonically. “It’s time to die!”  
“I don’t wear a watch!!” Chuck yelled. “I decide what time it is!”  
With a brisk movement, the Terran tore from the grip of his opponent, leaving behind a some of his hair, which left a gaping hole at the top of his head. In his eye, a flash of rage swirled, and his fist hit Ozotto’s chin with a roar of all the demons!  
“And I counted to infinity... twice!” Chuck ended as ozotto collapsed to the ground.  
“He’ll make us look good,”Son Bra cried, her eyes still riveted on the strange spectacle.  
Ozotto’s silhouette was deployed into the air, as if in a movie in slow motion, and hit the ground with the thud... and with general indifference. Wherever you looked, whether in the stands, or in the spaces reserved for the fighters, everyone seemed to go about their business. Finally, Vegetto had started a game of tic-tac-toe (noughts and crosses) with Gast Carcolh. The armored fighters from Universe 19 discussed clothing while they polished their equipment with almost religious dedication. In Universe 6, the gang of girls engaged in a game of truth-or-dare. Moreover, Son Bra remarked at the same time that one of the girls chose dare.  
“You must bear the child of Kakarotto before the end of the tournament!”  
“Hmm, not interesting...” Bra of Universe 16 murmured, turning her head disdainfully.  
The only people who were really concerned with these events were the Vargas, whose chirpings had depicted the fight. One of these sparrows, moreover, had taken the battle so close to heart that he had laid an egg.  
The troupe of five heroes gathered around the lifeless body of their enemy. They exchanged happy looks and satisfied smiles, and nothing in their hearts created doubt of their victory.  
It was then that the creature vaguely resembling a white Saibaman came to greet them by bowing.  
“Thank you, Oh mighty heroes! You’ve released the terrible curse that has imprisoned me for so long! I am Princess Fat-Molar, and for a hundred years I have been helpless and submissive, chewing the odious food that the sinister Ozotto ingested. I’ll spare the sordid details, but it was far from organic. I went through the horrors of malnutrition, fat, and sugar all at once! NOw I can finally find my family, my friends, my love... and realize my dream of becoming a dancer! And it’s all thanks to you!!  
Mirai Gohan nodded knowingly, Chuck had laid a hand on his own heart, sighing with a softened look, and Marron helped Broly Junior put his necklace on with an air of exasperation.  
“Don’t thank us,” Yajirobe replied, sheathing his sword. “We are the Chuck Super Sentai after a...”  
“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!”  
A thunderous cry had pierced the air and filled the entire arena. A powerful and shrill voice that seemed to come from nowhere started to echo everywhere. Mirai Gohan frowned at the source: a dimensional portal, which had opened above them in a thick white glow. A vessel shaped like an arrow appeared and slowly descended. Its predominant colrs were a mix of red, yellow, and blue.  
The stunning saucer, which did not change form, opened from the bottom and the voice resounded once again:  
“NO! NO! NO! Nobody believes that! Nobody wants to! What?! All of that for that?! The most extraordinary, most gargantuan, most daunting, the most elephantine tournament of all time and of all the universes, disturbed, polluted by a monster like no other evil... the terrible, sinister, hideous, stinking Lord Ozotto... And the fight ends with a quick kick to the gut and the molar tooth who will go on to play in Swan Lake?! You know what comes after that?! A failing audience, deprogramming! BANKRUPTCY!”  
Marron stomped her foot on the ground with gritted teeth; she raised her forehead to the source of the voice. “Stop getting excited, Bansa! We don’t work for you! Save your bogus scenarios for your TV shows! We’re talking about reality here! Our fight against Ozotto shone with coherence and relevance! (......)  
“Whatever you believe! I have nothing against the honeyed and good-intention-filled, yet convoluted Princess Fat-Molar... No, sorry, I don’t believe it for a second! It wouldn’t be anything more than a last minute reve...  
“Oh!” exclaimed Mary Sue from Universe 2, “Fat-Molar, my cousin!”  
“Mary Sue!” exclaimed Princess Fat-Molar in turn, her eyes filled with tears. “But no, you’re wrong. You’re my second aunt as well as my grandmother!”  
“….. Aaaaaarrrrrrghhhh!” yelled Bansa. “No, it’s too much! I’m suffering. I’m dying. I’m dead and already buried!”  
While pursuing his complaint of pure agony, Bansa revealed himself, or rather... herself. She was a Namek... A Namek of small stature with two blond duvets. She had candy-blond hair and a crimson-colored robe, which added a degree of horror to the spectacle.  
Son Bra put a hand over her eyes like a visor, as if she had been seeing things, and her nose wrinkled in disgust.  
“Aren’t Nameks normally asexual?” she asked.  
Around her, the members of her universe crowded.  
“Well,” said Trunks, “there’s never been formal proof...”  
And the intrusive pupils Gohan, Goten, Trunks, and Bra dug their heels towards Piccolo, who stood in silence heavy with implications.  
“.....Nothing to hide, and nothing to show anymore! Stop staring at me!” he coldly growled through gritted teeth.  
They didn’t have the time to pursue the topic further, as Bansa left again with thousands of complaints against the Chuck Super Sentai. Mirai Gohan, clenching his fist, eventually interrupted:  
“That’s enough Bansa! Stop with this ridiculous quest! We don’t work, never mind for you or for anyone else! We are freer than the wind that breezes through the plain. We don’t belong to you... I don’t belong to you!  
“After all I went through for you,” replied Bansa, acerbic, “I could not satisfy myself with such a speech!”  
“You want to fight us?!” Marron challenged, ready to fight.  
“Don’t bother,” added Yajirobe, unsheathing his sword.  
Furious with rage, Bansa jumped on his vessel and his mouth opened wide, his sharp teeth showing.  
“Final Yoshi Flash!” he cried, and a moment later, he began to spit globular eggs that gushed from his stomach to his throat at the pace of a machine gun.  
“I got this!” Broly Junior yelled with a confident voice. The boy could not shine as he wished to during the fight against Ozotto, and he hoped to make up for that now.  
Waving his hands in front, he launched a burst of energy that radiated with sweltering heat. The burning waves zipped forwards without breaking any of the eggs and... It was a miracle! The heat caused the projectiles to crack, and hundreds of chicks fell as if it were yellow snow.  
“Ooooooooooooooooooooh!” said the Vargas, whose paternal instinct was fueled by the so much cuteness.Bansa ceased his attack suddenly, stunned by the deluge of poultry. He let himself fall gently to a piece of the ring that was floating in the air.  
“My audience... in free fall,” he muttered, and started to cry loudly.  
“Come on,” said Mirai Gohan, joining him. “Stop being so ridiculous. It’s time you stopped the charade and became yourself...”  
“Myself?!” yelped the Namek, pulling his blond duvets. “Become that insignificant person I once was?! The one that was never noticed?! The one that was there just to treat sores and thrown away after use?!”  
“Come on, Dende...” sighed Mirai Gohan.  
“WHAT?!” screamed the Gohans from Universes 16 and 18, while the Trunkses and Gotens from these same universes gaped their mouths in shock.  
Dende?! The almighty guardian of their world was, in another reality, a producer disguised as a cougar?!  
As if he had foreseen their incredulity, Bansa aka Dende turned to them with a look of contempt.  
“I forbid you to judge me! You don’t know what I went through. Oh, I know your universe; I’ve studied it well. No! None! Although I must admit that my situation in your reality is more enviable than mine. Know that where I am, I have not had the chance to be selected to become the new Kami-sama... I was playing scrabble when you guys went to New Namek to find a candidate! I had won a triple word score; I couldn’t give up... I just couldn’t!! And so I missed my only chance to go to Earth... My only chance of finding the one I’ve always loved, the one for whom my insides were consumed the first minute I saw him...  
Dende stared intensely at Mirai Gohan and a thread of snot ran from his nose.  
The jaws of the Gohans from Universes 16 and 18 failed to unhinge.  
In Universe 16, Trunks and Goten somehow restrained to laugh, and Trunks finally asked, “Hey Bra, any comments?”  
“No... Didn’t you see that I actually tried to kill myself by holding my breath?”  
The Gohan of the future, meanwhile, seemed terrible annoyed and tired, as if he was used to hearing this same tune over and over.  
“Dende... I’ve already said it a hundred times. Whether you get beautiful hair implants or wear provocative dresses... You and me... it’s impossible.  
The little Namek bowed his head and seemed more somber than ever.  
“So, you’ll never change your mind. I guess I have no choice.”  
He flew suddenly and landed on his ship, which had not moved at all, and the Namek spread his arms quickly shouting, “I’ll have to use my secret technique! Waltz of Phantoms... to me!”  
And greed plumes of smoke swirled around him; time and space seemed to stretch while a long mournful complaint, which seemed to emit from hell it self, was heard. Several figures appeared... First, the knight in shining armor that was killed by Uub, then the girl who was atomized by Vegeta of Universe 13...  
“Super...” Son Bra muttered, “He’s summoning all the pathetic lo..."  
and... Pan! It was Pan of Universe 16! Her spectre had taken form in between those of the others.  
Son Bra stopped suddenly, and without taking the time to think, rushed into air, chasing the phantom.  
“Pan!” she cried, reaching out for her late friend and niece.  
The ghost grinned and held out her all-too transparent hand and said... “Pull my finger!”  
“Good evening!” gasped Bra. “But what the hell is going on?”  
Ghosts were wandering around all the participants, while Dende, frightened by his own actions, ran to hide behind Future Gohan.  
“What have you done?” cried Gohan.  
“You...you cannot leave me,” Dende begged.  
“Bah,” Gohan said, trying to pull away from him. “I’m sure you expected it.”  
“What are we going to do??” Marron asked, tears in her eyes.  
“I don’t know,” cried the brave Chuck. “I’m terrified of ghosts.”  
“What?” Marron yelled. “But...you’re a hero! You can’t be afraid of simple ghosts.”  
“It’s obvious that you have not seen the movie where the cursed girl appears as a ghost to people on a video and kills them seven days later, leaving a capsule...”  
“A capsule?” Marron asked.”  
“A capsule. Damn!” Chuck added. “And I’m not the only one to be afraid here. Look! All the heroes of the world are in the same state as me!  
Indeed, Vegetto and the Super Namek were huddling in each other’s strong arms, screaming, while the ghost of Tidar approached them. Vegeta fired balls of energy in all directions, shouting, “Don’t come near me!”  
Nearby, Goten and Trunks played with Pan’s ghost, who laughed at the joke she had played on Bra. The latter was on the verge of throwing a tantrum.  
“Come on, Vegeta,” Goku said. “You shouldn’t be afraid. Look, neither I nor the children are afraid.”  
“Obviously!” Vegeta shouted. “You must be smart to be scared!”  
“I...I don’t understand....”  
“Exactly my point!” screamed Vegeta.  
Above this nonsensical cacophony, a booming voice erupted.  
“Hu hu hu hu hu hu!” shouted Ozotto. “Poor Dende! You have just condemned your team! Did you forget my special power?  
“Oh...shit!” shouted Dende.  
“What?!” Future Gohan asked, turning his head to see Dende who still clung to him.  
“I was going to say...I forgot Ozotto had a special power...”  
“Yes, but which one?” demanded Chuck.  
“He has the ability to absorb the energy from ghostly spectres!”  
“Oh no!” cried the Rangers in unison.Ozotto used his ability. He concentrated his energy...soon, ghosts swirled around him, faster and faster.  
“And now...what will happen now?” Broly Jr asked, turning to Dende.  
“His power will rise, and he’ll probably grow,” he replied.  
“Are you sure?” asked Marron.  
“Well, this is how he did it the last time.”  
“What!?” cried the rangers.  
“Uh...” Dende began, “I didn’t tell you? It was a few months ago. I was walking through a sleazy bar in a diplomatic trip to another planet...and I found a baby alien.”  
“What was he doing there?” asked Broly Jr.  
“I don’t know. Probably abandoned by his mother because of his horrible face. Anyway, I brought him back to Earth. I was like his mother...or something. But he kept doing stupid things. One day, he even knocked down Mr. Popo’s palace! Unfortunately, the whole thing crashed heavily, crushing Korin’s tower all the way to the ground.”  
“Ah,” thought Gohan, “this is why we couldn’t see it.”  
“No!” said Marron. “Is he dead?”  
“Not at all,” replied Dende. “But he makes me annoyed because he has such a dirty mouth. He’s a very temperamental fellow. Throwing away decades of living together for a simple accident...  
“Anyway, I was still angry. So I decided to punish the kid. I summoned ghosts...but the boy suddenly grew and fled, eventually becoming your worst enemy.”  
“So...this is all your fault,” Chuck grumbled, as all the rangers began approaching Dende in a threatening manner.  
After absorbing the last ghost, Ozotto began to grow. His muscles swelled; his tail disappeared. Horns emerged from his back.  
“His strength has increased significantly,” said Bra. “This isn’t ending. I may have to get involved; it’s getting tiresome to watch.”  
The Rescue Rangers finished off Dende. Now, they were ready to fight Ozotto. They performed their best dance, then swooped toward him.  
But Super Ozotto was twice as big as before, and twice as strong. He rushed and thrust his fist into Marron’s stomach, sending her slamming into Chuck. Together they crashed to the ground near Dende’s broken body.  
Yajirobe swung his sword through the air, but Ozotto dodged and the swing cut off Gohan’s other arm.  
“NOOOOOOOO!” he cried. Then he crashed to the ground, crying, and started crawling toward his severed arm like a worm.  
“Oops,” said Yajirobe just before Ozotto’s fist crashed into his face.  
The lone warrior remaining in the air was Broly Jr. He was seething with anger. Would he become the Legendary Super Saiyan? He looked down into the spaces of different worlds, hoping to see Goku, Kakarotto, or even Goten. But the smoke obscured his sight; he couldn’t see. He was angry...his father had taught him to turn his thinking toward Kakarotto. Sometimes the transformation would be triggered when he thought back to his childhood. But now, nothing happened. His efforts were ruined as Ozotto attacked. A wave of energy from the demon’s mouth struck him, burning Broly Jr and sending him falling to the ground, smoking.  
“Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu!” laughed Ozotto. “You can do nothing against me!”  
On the ground, Gohan looked for Trunks, hoping to get a senzu...but he was still in shock, drooling on the ground. The other members of the Rangers were no better. Marron tried to get up, without success; Ozotto would finish them for sure. Bra was preparing to intervene, surprised that no one else was getting involved. It annoyed her; this story was too stupid for her to get involved, but if she let these idiots die, she’d be hearing about it forever.  
Meanwhile, in the space of Universe 9:  
“You think we’re the only two normal people in the multiverse?” Krillin asked his friend Tien, “between all these morons who keep dancing around, a monster who is now threatening to destroy us all, and everyone who is laughing about it?”  
“Okay, let me remind you: I have three eyes, and you have no nose. So as far as normality is concerned, we can pretty much forget about—”  
Then a scream rang out. “STOP!”  
Everyone turned, looking to see who had spoken. Goku from Universe 18 seemed to recognize the voice. He turned to the space of Universe 9, but Kulilin there seemed as surprised as the others. But Goku was sure he had heard Kulilin’s voice. He then saw a small man walking down the stairs in the stands. Slowly, he stepped from the shadows, revealing his face.  
“Oh, Kulilin!” exclaimed Goku. “Is that our universe? I didn’t know he was here.”  
“Me neither,” replied Gohan, looking at his father.  
That’s when Goku realized that his son was not looking toward the same place as him, but to the right. He followed his son’s eyes, and saw another Kulilin quickly coming down a different flight of stairs, closer to the space of Universe 16.  
“Kulilin?” cried Vegetto of Universe 16. “What are you doing here?”  
Both Kulilins flew, arriving simultaneously in the ring.  
“Well,” one said to the other, “you came too?”  
“Of course,” replied the other. “If I understand the principle of this tournament, we are the same person. It is logical that we both decided to intervene.”  
“Yes, we could not let our daughter die. Even if she IS from another world.”  
“Well,” Yamcha of Universe 9 said toward his Kulilin, “They’re you. They look like you, but with hair.”  
“I am much more beautiful without hair,” remarked that Kulilin. “And they don’t have my beautiful shell. I’m much better.”  
Ozotto, who did not appreciate this interruption, landed on the ring.  
“Who are you, little men?”  
“You’ll know soon,” said the two Kulilins. “We will reveal a terrible truth: the truth of our life.”  
Hands on their hearts, both alter-egos began their revelatory monologue.  
“For so long,” said Kulilin of Universe 18, “I’ve hidden my power from you all. I’ve hidden so many things...”  
“Dad, no!” Marron shouted.  
“That’s not really your father,” Chuck said.  
“My parents died on a love cruise; these Kulilins are all the parents I have.”  
Those from universes 18 and 16 were surprised, not knowing what to think of it.  
“It’s time to tell everything,” Kulilin from Universe 16 said. “I was born to Padné and Tanakin from the Planet Noseless. I was sent to Earth to conquer it.”  
“I had a mission to find the most powerful man on Earth,” continued the Kulilin of Universe 18, “which I did. It was then that I met a child, also sent to conquer the Earth....”  
While everyone listened, stunned or simply incredulous, Goku felt confused.  
“Uh, who are we talking about again?”  
“You, imbecile!” shouted Vegeta. “This dwarf annoys me. What’s he trying to say?”  
“At the beginning,” said 18’s Kulilin, “there was a certain rivalry between myself and Goku. Then we became friends. I decided to protect the Earth; the Saiyan was becoming more and more powerful.”  
“Of course,” said Kulilin of Universe 16, “I was much more powerful. So I masked my powers, merely watching the feats that were performed. I lowered my power so as not to get noticed.”  
“The trick came back to hurt me, though; I ended up getting killed. Several times.”  
“Whatever!” shouted Vegeta. “We can prove that’s not true!”  
“Well,” said Kulilin, “I have no nose. That should be proof enough of my Noselessian origins.”  
“I don’t care about your origins, silly!” yelled Vegeta. “I mean your strength!”  
“Oh. Well. I’ll give you a demonstration, then.”  
Both Kulilins lifted their hands to their heads...and removed their wigs.  
“It’s a wig?” exclaimed Gohan of Universe 18, stunned.  
“After my marriage to Number 18, I told her the whole truth. I was an alien; I had too much power. If it broke through, I could kill everyone I cared about, and I wanted them to live. I told her the source of my infinite power: my beautiful shiny skull. So she advised that I cover it with this wig.”  
“If this is true, you should be superbly strong!” said Yamcha from Universe 9 to his world’s Krillin. “You’re still bald.”  
“Ah,” he answered, “From now on, I won’t wax my head. If only I had known....”  
“But,” interjected Tien, “you’re not aware of your origins?”  
“No, I fell on my head when I was a baby. That must be why.”  
The two Kulilins began concentrating their energy. Suddenly, they transformed. Their muscles had grown amazingly...it reminded them of one of Master Roshi’s techniques.  
“My god,” muttered Vegeta.  
“For all the demons of hell!” exclaimed Piccolo.  
“Well, shit,” complained Ozotto.  
Within the range of this enormous power, suddenly all the scouters in the stadium exploded.  
“It is...greater than my Super Saiyan 3!” shouted Goku.  
“Above my mystic strength!” exclaimed Gohan, falling back onto his ass.  
“But...damn it!” Vegeta shouted. “He was the only one in the band shorter than me! How can he be stronger?!”  
“You are very powerful,” admitted Ozotto. “But it is not enough.”  
“We know that,” the Kulilins answered. “We...will...FUSE!”  
“He needs more power than that,” thought Vegetto.  
But the Kulilins of Universes 16 and 18 executed the dance they had learned only a few years before...and their bodies united into a single SUPER PERFECT KULILIN!  
The audience went wild! Dende (having recovered from the Rangers’ beating) shouted; girls were screaming with burning desire everywhere. Super Kulilin was beautiful. His bulging muscles were massive; his jacket was open, exposing his beautiful chest. His long belt fluttered behind him. His gaze was dark. His power had exploded.  
“Well, there you have it,” muttered Vegetto. “He’s stronger than me.”  
“He’s beautiful!” Videl exclaimed, clasping her heart.  
“What!?” exclaimed both Gohans in Universe 16 and 18.  
“All I could want,” said Bra.  
“Not bad,” Marron said, looking at her father.  
“So basically,” began Chuck, “you are the love child of a robot and a noseless alien?”  
“That explains why Marron is so strong,” said Videl.  
“It doesn’t explain why Yajirobe and Satan are strong, though,” Goku said, intrigued.  
“Well, haven’t you seen the scouter I wear? I’m a Saiyan! It should be obvious,” Yajirobe shouted. “Besides, I hide my tail under my costume.”  
“This is revisionist,” Dende muttered with a troubled air.  
“Ah,” said Bulma from Universe 9, “Whether he’s telling the truth or not, tails are clearly returning to fashion.”  
“Well,” said Ozotto to Super Kulilin, “We fight. Your power has perhaps increased, but I’m not afraid of you so far.”  
The battle began. Super Kulilin rushed toward his enemy. Ozotto was huge, but Super Kulilin’s impressive musculature more than made up for it.  
They exchanged many kicks and punches.  
In the space of Universe 4, the lone participant watched with a disappointed air.  
“And in my world, I killed him instead of absorbing him,” complained Zen Buu. “And now he is stronger than me...” He began to count the grains of sand.  
The fight lasted only a few minutes. Super Kulilin was impressive; everyone was encouraged, except Vegeta who grumbled in his corner: the truth was hard to accept.  
It was then that an event happened which changed everything. A tiny ball, chewing-gum pink, sped toward Kulilin and hit him hard. He screamed as it swallowed him up, then returned at full speed to its owner. Buu of Universe 11 had absorbed Super Kulilin.  
“Shit!” said Buu of Universe 4. “I didn’t think it would be another version of me who got him!”  
“Buu, what did you do!?” cried Babidi. “You don’t have the right to absorb people outside of matches. Spit him up!”  
“Buu?” said Buu, who clearly didn’t understand the problem.  
“Are you even a little stronger?” asked Babidi. “You haven’t changed in appearance at all.”  
“But master,” said Dabura, “look, he’s a bit smaller, and he has six points on his forehead. And he still has no nose...”  
Babidi continued to watch the minimal changes to his djinn as Ozotto grew impatient....  
Most of the fighters remained indifferent to what had happened. Whether Super Buu absorbed Kulilin or not...it didn’t matter.  
Then the terrible laughter of Ozotto was heard.  
“Ha ha ha! Now that Super Kulilin is gone, I’ll be easily able to take control of this world!”  
Gohan of Universe 18 and Gohan of Universe 16 looked at each other, then replied with one voice:  
“How do you know that nobody else can stop you?”  
Ozotto didn’t know what to say, so he just said, “I know, that’s all.”  
“But look, Dad’s still in front of him up there!” Videl of Universe 16 yelled.  
Her shout was so loud that Satan and Ozotto heard it.  
It was too much for Ozotto. Yet another opponent stood in his way. The monster uttered an angry roar unlike any heard before...except, perhaps, screams of pain from colic after eating a bad breakfast....  
Chuck remained impassive.  
“But...what am I doing here?” wondered Vegeta of Universe 18.  
In front of him, in the space of Universe 9, Videl tried desperately to escape Yamcha’s grasp.  
“Let me go! I’ve gotta go, I’m going to fight this monster in honor of my father!” Videl yelled.  
“Certainly not; they have a much higher power level than you.”  
“Before you go up there, you’ll first have to go over my body!” screamed the old Kaioshin in turn.  
“We can well imagine how perverse an idea is going through your head, obscene old man.”  
“Haha! You’re not trying for the same thing, Kulilin?” Yamcha laughed.  
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, unless you’re referring to the other day when this pretty girl spontaneously wanted to show me her panties...” Kulilin replied.  
The tournament organizers could see the need to end the madness of the monster, so they decided to act.  
“Run the MO sequence!” said the chief Varga.  
“Right away!” they shouted with one voice.  
“Uh...what’s the MO plan, anyway?” whispered one of them.  
“That’s the multi-eggs plan, asshole! And hurry, before this thing finishes ravaging our stadium!”  
The assistant chief immediately pressed a big red button located on the control panel.  
With a loud clang, eight big guns came out of the walls of the arena. A few seconds later, they each began firing large oval objects into the combat area.  
“Eggs? What are these strange birds up to?” thought Piccolo from Universe 16.  
Indeed, Piccolo was right. They were eggs...and immediately upon touching the ground, they began to move. Thirty seconds later, they had all hatched; Vargas began emerging. But not just any Vargas. No, these Vargas were twice as big and muscular as the normal Vargas!!  
“We are the Space Chickens!” cried one who seemed to be the leader of the group.  
“Uhm...shouldn’t we say Space Police instead?” whispered one closest to the presumed leader.  
Ozotto, licking his lips, exclaimed, “Cool! Roast chicken!”  
He opened his mouth and fired a tiny ball of energy in the direction of the birds. They all took off at a phenomenal rate, then crashed into the shield surrounding the combat zone. All the Vargas levitated, unsure what to do.  
“Desperate times call for desperate measures!” yelled one fighter Varga.  
They looked at each other, nodded, then shouted, “FUSE!”  
With a furious, feathery quacking, they all fused into...A SUPER VARGA.  
“I’m the Absolutely Fabulous Varga, Illuminator of the Night!” it cried.  
The Super Varga rushed headlong toward Ozotto. But he had his head down, meaning that he only had a vague idea of what direction he was going. Even so, he struck Ozotto with a monstrous headbutt sending him flying...apparently he had figured out his path eventually.  
“And now we have our first wonderful introduction to the fight, with the first blow delivered by the Absolutely Fabulous Varga, Illuminator of the Night!” commented one of the Vargas into a microphone.  
Ozotto recovered quickly, a tiny tear in the corner of his eye.  
“That’s not fair; you didn’t announce before you started the fight!” he complained. “You’ll taste my wrath!”  
“Whose wrath? The only wrath I’d be afraid of is my own!”  
“Yaaahhhh!”  
And so the battle began: a battle of unimaginable violence. Nobody would have expected a Varga to fight like that. The blows were exchanged at breakneck speed.  
“Whoo, not bad for a sparrow. But he won’t be able to last through to the end,” thought Vegeta of Universe 18.  
As the battle raged, Gohan returned to 18’s space with his alter-ego, amputated arm-in-arm. Soon, he began to tell a piece of his history to his alternate father.  
“Well, uh, in my universe, just before the arrival of the cyborgs, mom got chased by wild boars when she returned from the DMV. You know how scared she is of boars, right?  
"Uh..." began Goku, "but she spent most of her childhood in the woods, no?"  
"That's not it; try to understand...she sent you and Piccolo to try and get your drivers licenses."  
"What?" Piccolo grew annoyed at hearing this. "I gave in to her demand?"  
The boy from the future nodded gravely. "You had no choice; she deprived both you and my father of food."  
"But aren't Nameks only supposed to drink water?" inquired Gohan of Universe 18.  
"But he also ate with us."  
"Ridiculous!" exclaimed Piccolo.  
"Anyway, Vegeta learned...I don't know how—"  
"He learned that Piccolo eats?" asked Goku naively.  
"No, he learned that you obtained your drivers license. It was 'inconceivable that this low-class Saiyan Kakarotto' could surpass him in another area, and he determined to show that he was the strongest. Vegeta also passed his driver's test, and he drove in a way, err...how to say (he carefully avoided offending Vegeta)...that was not recommended. He went off the road and hit a bus full of children. All three of you died instantly, along with the children and teachers. Evidently, with Piccolo dead, the power of the dragon balls also disappeared."  
"What? Me, Vegeta, dying in a car accident? Impossible. I'm a Saiyan! I don't believe you!"  
"Regardless, I was there with my little Dragon, taking a picture at the moment of the accident. I didn't have time to save you."  
He reached into his belt and pulled out a photo of Vegeta in a car with Goku and Piccolo bearing down on a bus.  
"I keep it with me always to remind mom not to get her drivers license; it's stupid," explained Future Gohan.  
"Stupid idiots," muttered Vegeta toward Piccolo, Future Gohan, and Goku.  
"It would seem that I'm better fit to drive than you," laughed Goku with a sly smile, to tease Vegeta.  
"SHUT UP, KAKAROTTO!"  
"But couldn't one of us alone have lifted the bus while the other caught Vegeta's car?" inquired Piccolo, perplexed.  
"Yes, but you were trying to prove that Chuck wasn't the hero of Earth he said he was," replied Gohan.  
"I can understand that," said Gohan of Universe 18.  
“I know!” huffed Vegeta, who was sour. He moved to the spaces of Universes 13 and 16 to speak to his alter ego and to Vegetto. But Vegetto was still with Gast. They had finished their portion of the crabs they were eating and stood face to face again. The two Vegetas from Universes 13 and 18 walked up, overhearing their conversation.  
“I really think we should intervene.”  
“Do not be so sure, Vegetto,” Gast said calmly. “We know nothing of these people; perhaps it is not wise to engage in combat without knowing all the ins and outs.”  
“But...Ozotto is clearly an enemy, a villain.”  
On hearing this, the fusion of all the Namekians suddenly stiffened and came face to face with the fused Saiyan.  
“You say that because he has horns, yellow eyes, and an evil laugh all the time?”  
“Well, yes, that’s why.”  
“You’re full of prejudice, Vegetto. If we don’t know anything, we shouldn’t condemn without proof.”  
The Saiyan seemed to ponder the question for a brief moment before speaking again. This time, he frowned, speaking calmly. “I don’t remember that you had so many reservations when you faced the Cell Junior.”  
A drop of sweat slowly ran down the temple of the Namekian as he considered what excuse to give.  
“Yes...well...it was not the same. He hit me first, the little cheat! He deserved a little lesson.”  
“By destroying his brain and making sure he had no chance of regenerating?”  
Once again, the gigantic Namek took a long time for reflection before finally deciding to take a step forward. He stared at the sky, listening carefully to the sounds of battle raging outside the arena. Then he moved back to where Vegetto was leaning against the wall.  
“Okay, okay. Let’s go. I will probably have to get to the bottom of this.”  
“Yeah, me too,” smiled the Saiyan.  
Gast Carcolh turned abruptly, his cape flapping behind him. “Oh no!” he roared. “Out of the question! You cannot transform above level 2!”  
“What? But...why?”  
Again, the Namek stood in front of him, towering over him.  
“Because! Mr. mass-of-a-black-hole! Mr. gravity-of-the-moon! And yada yada yada. It is time to leave a little room for others to finish! You’re not the only super strong one here, so leave your long hair in the closet and fight without it.”  
Vegetto was speechless for a few seconds, glaring up at the Namek, who looked thoroughly serious. They continued staring at each other for some time silently, their eyes locked. Finally, the warrior fused from Goku and Vegeta concluded:  
“You’re just jealous of my hair, aren’t you?”  
A green fist crashed with colossal power against the wall just above the Saiyan, creating a spiderweb pattern stretching over several square meters. Vegetto did not move, simply raising one eyebrow as he watched the Namek. The latter bowed his head, shaking. After a few seconds, the Saiyan saw a tear slide gently down his cheek while Gast murmured in a low voice.  
“The hair...I wish we had...hair...”

Later, the two Vegetas and Vegetto spoke briefly...  
“But what do you want?” The three had met in one of the dressing rooms. “Vegetto, I know that deep down you regret having fused with Goku. And you, Vegeta: do you not want to become the greatest Saiyan warrior in the universe?” said Vegeta of Universe 18. “I see only one way to get what all three of us want: fusion. It will allow you, Vegetto, to erase the traces of Goku in your body, and it will allow both of us, Vegeta, to obtain the power we seek.”  
“That’s perfect!” both of them said in one voice.  
So with the Potaras they fused. First Vegeta and Vegeta, then Vegetto with this new being. And in a tremendous explosion of energy, Vegetta was born.  
Vegetta’s clothes were a mix of combat gear and Saiyan martial arts attire. A single strand of hair fell over his forehead.  
He emerged from the apartments. All the fighters turned, dazzled by the aura of Vegetta; it shone like a star.  
Vegetta pointed toward the two warriors fighting away from the arena, then said:  
“Out of here, dirty greenish bird! This moron is mine!”  
“Pah!” said Ozotto. “Look!”  
He snapped his fingers and magically...the fusion of Vegetta disappeared, leaving the two Vegetas and Vegetto unconscious, paralyzed on the ground.  
“I’m done with you all!” Ozotto shouted, lifting his arms above his head.  
“His ki is increasing at an amazing rate!” said Gohan, who was becoming visibly stressed.  
Bra stood beside him, fists clenched. It would soon become too late to intervene, but she couldn’t make a decision.  
In the space of Universe 3, Tapion turned to one of his companions. “You going to do what you do?”  
“I don’t care,” replied Piccolo Daimao laconically, heading toward the apartments of their space.  
When Raichi opened his mouth to answer, he was cut off by Bardock.  
“I don’t care either.”  
“You’re stealing my reply, dirty ape! Do not interrupt me! Oh! And I don’t care either; you’ll die by the end of this damn tournament!”  
Tapion observed quietly as the three made their way to the entrance of their space. He shrugged.  
“I’m not great, but I’ll look later.”  
An enormous giant ball of pure red and black energy appeared over Ozotto. It was a gigantic evil Genki Dama.  
“I will destroy you all and be done with this stupid story!”  
But once again, the heroes were there to stop him. The agents of the Super Walker Power Texas Rangers Space Warriors, all in perfect condition thanks to Dende, who had miraculously recovered, stood in the center of the arena. Its members lifted their heads, proud and confident that they would win.  
“Here we go!” cried Chuck.  
Yajirobe, Marron, Chuck, Broly Jr. and Gohan took their places as they prepared to launch a Kamehameha.  
“We will need help!” said Broly Jr.  
Son Goku teleported immediately behind the five enemies of Ozotto. “We will help you,” he said with a reassuring smile as he also got in position to fire a Kamehameha. His actions inspired other warriors, as Uub, Pan, Gohan, all of Universe 9, and Trunks of Universe 12 took their positions behind him.  
“You aren’t going to get anywhere!” cried Ozotto, pushing his arms forward slowly. His evil Genki Dama followed suit, beginning to move slowly but surely toward all the participants.  
The warriors concentrated their forces. The Saiyans went to Super Saiyan level 1, along with Yajirobe. All cried “Kamehameha” in unison. Dozens of blue energy beams collided with the sphere of energy...but it didn’t stop.  
“Muahahahaha!” cried Ozotto.  
“We can’t do it!” called Marron.  
At that moment, the other warriors who had hesitated changed their minds. Cell, in particular, launched a Kamehameha while the Piccolos from Universe 16 and 18 fired Makankosappos. Yamcha stopped his Kamehameha and headed to the space of Universe 11; he had an idea in mind.  
“We don’t have enough! Give us your energy!” Chuck cried.  
It wasn’t enough. The missiles and flamethrowers of the nano-warriors weren’t any use; neither was the power of the Saiyans from Universe 13, who all participated (with the exception of Vegeta, who was still unconscious along with his double from Universe 18 and Vegetto). Gast contributed too, unlike Bojack who continued to sit back and drink beer. Even the Kaioshins were participating.  
Though Ozotto’s victory seemed certain, Yamcha came to speak to Majin Buu from Universe 11.  
“You have a Kulilin absorbed in you! I know you understand. Help us, Buu! No...Buulin! Help us! Get a bunch of candy!”  
“Okay!”  
Together, they formed a Kamehameha. In the space of Universe 4, someone celebrated:“Yeah! I almost finished counting the grains of sand!”  
But Bojack, stuffed and lazy, tossed a ball of energy randomly. It landed in the space of Universe 4, dispersing the sand that Buu was counting. Would he start over?  
Buu was upset; steam puffed from the holes in his head like a teapot. He almost attacked Bojack, but then realized that this was primarily the fault of Ozotto, and secondarily Bra, because she wasn’t moving or helping anyone.  
He took off, trying to absorb Ozotto directly. He succeeded, stopping the progress of the Evil Genki Dama. But the power of Super Ozotto’s mustache was too much for him, and he knew he couldn’t keep it contained for long....  
Beneath him, the warriors took advantage of their opportunity. “We have to give it everything we have!” shouted Chuck.  
That’s when a lot of things happened. Buu from Universe 11 saw Uub and absorbed him, becoming Super Uub. The old kaioshin of Universe 9 came to see Broly Jr., walked around him in a chicken dance, then snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the boy began to grow, maturing, multiplying his ki, and managed to transform into Legendary Super Saiyan 3!! Goku awoke Vegeta with a snap and fused with him, while the Prince of Saiyans from Universe 13 re-fused with Vegetto using the Potalas to produce a different Vegetta. The two Gohans fused, as did the two Piccolos. Finally, both sets of Goten and Trunks fused...but this wasn’t enough, so the two Gotenks fused together!  
All the Saiyans, even Gohan2, Yajirobe, Future Gohan, Future Trunks of Universe 12, Nappa, Raditz, and Kakarotto all transformed suddenly into Super Saiyan 3. Their hair stretched out behind them. On either side, the other warriors all used Kaioken Level One Thousand, extending their muscles to impossible size.  
Gast stopped his attack when he saw the deluge of long hair.  
“This golden hair...I...I want!”  
Tears ran down his cheeks, and with unprecedented sadness and anger with himself, he fired his energy even more powerfully against the Genki Dama of Ozotto.  
This time, under the absolutely cosmic barrage of power, Ozotto was on the verge of perishing. They only needed the power of one more person and he would be finished.  
Bra concentrated, cried “Kamehameha,” stretched her arms above her head and...an energy sphere the size of a ping pong ball appeared in her hands and zigzagged toward them, about ten meters off course.  
“Bra, what are you doing?!” screamed Gotenks.  
She tried again, but the same thing happened.  
“Hurry up, Bra!” shouted her father Vegetta. “We need you! You’re our only hope!”  
She tried a third time...but failed pitifully again. Bra was taken aback. She fell to her knees, shouted “Nooooo!”, then got up, determined to perform a simple Kamehameha.  
She failed again, then looked up at the spectator arena. They all laughed. To drive the point home, they all shook their fists and used overkill Kaioken. The arena was bathed in red light. Then all these spectators fired a Kamehameha.  
It was a real light show. Red and blue flooded the arena as the billions of Kamehamehas rushed toward Ozotto.  
Then the counterpart of Bra from Universe 18 arrived.  
“Look, this is how it’s done.”  
She concentrated, transformed to a Super Saiyan 3, and cried “Super Kamehameha!” while all her muscles bulged, then fired.  
The evil Genki Dama returned to its sender just as he freed himself from Buu of Universe 4. He took a combo of a thousand hits of maximum damage (that is, 99,999 ATQ). Ozotto lost all PVs, allowing a Flawless Victory attack from Bra of Universe 18, who looked at her counterpart from Universe 16. The look spoke volumes. “See you! You’re lame, I’m stronger, less stupid, I don’t attack my friends, and I surf the HoloNet to buy myself new clothes!”  
Bra fell to her knees, crying “Nooooooo!” again...and woke up sweating in her bed.  
“A nightmare?” she thought, catching her breath  
It was obvious. Everything was too confused to be true. She was in the room where she had laid down, very dimly lit by the blue lights in the walls.  
To make sure that everything was okay, Bra stood up and went to open the door to her room. She couldn’t seem much outside, but that was a good thing. She was about to close the door when she felt the ki of her brother Gohan not too far away. He emerged from his room. Keeping her ki hidden, Bra let him pass. She wondered where he would be going like this in the middle of the night. She almost went out and asked him...but changed her mind just as she was grabbing for the doorknob.  
“If Gohan is leaving alone, it’s because he is choosing to,” Bra thought, deciding to respect his decision and give him privacy.  
She closed the door quietly and went back to bed. Questions turned over in her mind for several hours before sleep took her.


	5. The Precautions of Gohan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry the chapters have goton so short

Meanwhile, Gohan of Universe 16 went to Space 1, where the tournament organizers were.  
The arena was plunged into total silence, just as calm and quiet as the universe 0 had been since the dawn of time. It was the complete opposite of earlier that day; the shouts of fighting had echoed throughout the stadium, the applause of countless spectators a constant background rumble. But now...it was peaceful once again.  
Most of the fighters slept. But while some took a well deserved rest, others wanted to start warming up for the second round at the earliest opportunity. Of those, a few warriors remained awake all night long. In some cases, the sleepless ones were wary, keeping an eye out for trouble just in case. Others simply had nothing else to do; their biology didn’t need to rest nor did they even know what it was like to sleep. But for some fighters, staying awake all night allowed them to strategize and plan.  
Son Gohan of universe 18 was among that group. He had left Videl asleep in their bed, tip-toeing off in silence. Once outside, he paused for a few seconds in the middle of his space’s hallway, looking around. He then spotted someone sneaking out of the dormitory to the right--his counterpart from the sixteenth universe. The other Gohan noticed him as well, both stopping at the sight of each other. There was an brief silence, each staring and wondering what the other had been up to or was planning to do. Thinking the same thing, the two men quickly decided to meet and talk.  
Gohan of Vegetto’s universe confessed that he had just returned from talking to the Kaioshins; not only those of universe 1, but also the universe 9 Kaioshin, who had escaped from Videl’s sword. The presence of Gohan had surprised them and, even after introducing himself, they were initially hesitant to believe him. But when Old Kai from universe 9 confirmed that Gohan had clearly been affected by his power raising ability, the gods decided to carefully consider what he had to say.  
At their request, Son Gohan described to them all the tournament participants he knew: Freeza, Cell, Bojack, Buu (Gohan had learned much about the djinn from Kibitoshin)...and also Vegetto. The other Gohan thought for a moment. It seemed the presence of Vegetto was the biggest difference between universes 16 and 18, so he wondered what exactly had prompted his counterpart to talk to the Kaioshins. Could the Saiyan fusion be just as dangerous as a Cell or Majin Buu?  
“I also talked to them about Bra...I’ve noticed she is very different from the one in your universe,” Gohan of universe 16 said.  
“Right, I doubt anyone could help but notice that...but she seems to have an unusual feel to her energy....almost unstable.”  
“That’s an understatement...she can’t control her Super Saiyan 2 state at all. She becomes a reckless rage-monster every time. I felt it only wise to warn the gods about her.”  
“I understand,” Son Gohan of universe 18 said. He knew he would have done the same thing if their roles were reversed.  
The counterpart of the sixteenth universe next confessed to having spoken to Tapion. He had explained to the sword-wielding hero that in his universe they had actually been able to defeat Hildegarn. Gohan of universe 18 nodded, knowing his father had also done so.  
“But the reason I went to them...I had to ask them a favor,” Gohan said, interrupting the reflection of his counterpart about Tapion.  
"I could tell the Kaioshins would be hesitant before I’d even finished explaining. But I also knew from the beginning that I was asking a lot." The South Kaioshin, in particular, was uncomfortable seeing the line between the high ranking gods and mere mortals blurred so easily. But he remained silent nonetheless, listening to the others.  
“I know that you plan to raise the dead at the end of the tournament...but I'm still concerned. On behalf of all the families of all the victims, I would ask that you resurrect them sooner.”  
Gohan bore a serious look, lowering his head in respect. Pondering his request, the Grand Kaioshin answered first.  
“Well, we have enough Dragon Balls to do it.”  
“But this is insane. We can’t just make a decision like this with no discussion!” the South Kaioshin immediately argued.  
The gods withdrew for a couple minutes, deliberating before giving Gohan their reply.  
“We will consider your request. In the meantime, go get some rest. We will give you our answer at the end of the second round. And thanks again for sharing this information.”  
With that, Gohan thanked them for their attention and left the space of universe one.  
Now that he was finished explaining the adventures of his own nightlife to Gohan of universe 18, it was the latter’s turn:  
“Well, I plan to go have a ‘talk’ with the Saiyans of universe 13,” Gohan said. “There are a few choice words I have for this Kakarotto regarding his upcoming fight with my Pan.”  
Gohan’s intent was clearly understood by his counterpart and after a few more minutes of general discussions, they parted. He from universe 16 returned to his sleeping wife and the one from universe 18 went to visit the quarters of universe 13.  
Along the way he didn’t cross paths with anyone, not even the Vargas or Namekian organizers of universe 1. The interior spaces were empty. A single door adorned the long dimly lit corridor. Even though Gohan couldn’t identify the energy signatures within the single apartment of universe 13, he knew that the four Saiyans were there.  
He knocked twice, hesitating a moment, then, realizing they might not even answer, pushed the door open and entered.  
The Saiyans inside looked bored. Vegeta sat at a round table resting his chin on his fist; Nappa appeared completely at ease, having removed his armor. Raditz was leaning against a wall and Kakarotto was staring blankly out a window...in spite of the fact that the window’s only view was of a solid rock wall.  
“Who gave you permission to enter?” Vegeta grumbled immediately.  
Though the others stood, the Prince of Saiyans didn’t rise, either to greet the visitor or threaten him. He had scoped Gohan’s strength out earlier: Vegeta had seen his violent release of energy when the half-Saiyan’s daughter had been killed. Even if this Gohan was from a different universe, he suspected that, based on their similarities, it could be assumed this one was just as strong. All the same, Vegeta was not afraid. He knew he was safe here, that there was no real threat. Gohan wouldn’t risk breaking any rules lest his daughter not be revived.  
But the other three Saiyans spun towards Gohan, their battle senses alert. Yet Gohan did not move. He looked in turn to each of them, recalling to his mind the distant memories he had of each. As if narrating, Gohan organized his thoughts into an inner monologue.  
‘Raditz...you turned my innocent childhood into a living nightmare...if only you'd never come to Earth, none of this would have happened. I would have lived peacefully without fighting, without seeing my friends or family die. And you, Nappa...you killed all my father's friends; your merciless slaughter made me absolutely terrified of you...if my father hadn’t arrived in time, you would have killed us all without feeling even an ounce of guilt...’  
“Answer my question!” Vegeta said in a more commanding tone, still sitting in his chair.  
Lastly, Gohan thought about Vegeta. At first glance, he had seemed so much weaker than Nappa was. Who could have known the prince was powerful enough to nearly defeat his father? Then, on Namek, the boy had encountered him for the first time on his own. If he recalled correctly, he had just discovered a hidden Dragon Ball and was returning to Kululin and Bulma. But the prince had met him along the way; naturally, Gohan feared for his life. But, through bravery and deception, he got away safely with just a knee in the stomach, having safely hidden the Dragon Ball. He had been very lucky indeed.  
‘I'm an adult now...and stronger than all of them,’ Gohan thought. ‘I fear nothing and no one, and am able to protect myself and others from the likes of scum like this.’  
“I would like to have a word with Kakarotto,” he said at last. “I have a proposal that may interest you, a simple exchange. But first, a challenge.”  
Gohan intended to prove his superiority, to convey to these men just how powerful a force he was.  
“If you are true Saiyans, you cannot refuse. It’ll be me...against all four of you.  
He then sat down in front of Vegeta.  
“Oh by all means, make yourself at home,” Vegeta grumbled. “Would you care for tea...or cupcakes?” Vegeta was clearly annoyed by the man’s emboldened approach.  
But Gohan paid no attention to him, simply smiling.  
“We’re not supposed to fight outside the tournament. I therefore propose arm wrestling...”  
Gohan rested his elbow on the table and presented his open hand.  
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Son Gohan of universe 18. I didn’t want to participate in the tournament...because I am the weakest of my group. You can all push my hand together, even use two arms, and try any angle you want. I challenge you to move my hand an inch. And I won’t even transform into a Super Saiyan!”  
Claiming to be the weakest of his group was a huge lie, but it was for a good cause so he didn’t mind; his ego wasn’t tied to his strength like full blooded Saiyans. At his words, he thought he detected a glimmer of fear in the eyes of Nappa. He was sure of it when he saw the bald giant gulp! Obviously, these Saiyans didn’t know that Gohan was able to release his full power without needing to transform. Had it not been for his gift from the gods, though, he wouldn’t have been able to stand up to even ordinary Super Saiyans without transforming. He was expecting a pathetic scene in which the terrible enemies of yesterday tried to force his hand, using all their power against him, and he would effortlessly restrain them. Part of him would have even enjoyed the small revenge, but this was not the case.  
“We won’t play your silly games,” Vegeta replied, his arms crossed.  
“Hmm. I see you aren’t wearing scouters anymore, so you must know how to sense energy...you already know that I am stronger than you, no need to test me,” guessed Gohan, smiling. “So lets move on. My power is not natural, it’s magical. You didn’t really think that our power came from simple training, did you? Vegetto and I, we aren’t normal. And it so happens, our abilities come from the same source.”  
Indeed, Vegetto was wearing the Potalas. And Old Kaioshin, who was responsible for increasing the power of Son Gohan, had been the one to reveal that type of fusion. Everything he said was true from a certain point of view. To the Saiyans, however, the information was incomplete and misleading; a series of grotesque lies.  
“All the elements needed to repeat this magic can be found right here, in this very arena. I can explain it all to you, practically hand you the keys for you to replicate every bit of it. In exchange...” Gohan paused, hardening his look. “In exchange, I want you, Kakarotto, to have an honorable fight against my daughter. She is the one you are set to battle in the second round.”  
“Honorable?” asked the evil version of Son Goku.  
“No unnecessary violence. No killing or use of excessive force. And none of your sadistic madness. Fight with virtue for once, Kakarotto! I’m not even asking you to lose. But don't you dare cross that line!"  
“Peuh! Who do you think I...”  
Gohan immediately tackled Kakarotto against the wall, toppling the table with the wake of his rush. Nobody had time to move, he was too fast for them. The demi-Saiyan had Kakarotto pinned against the wall with a single hand. Re-focusing himself, he quickly turned into a Super Saiyan, but he still couldn’t free himself from the powerful grip of Gohan.  
“Listen to me, you mass murderer,” Gohan hissed between his teeth, his speech angry and uncontrolled. “The only good thing you’ve ever done is accidentally hitting your head and allowing the great man my father is to be born!”  
He was damn tired of these arrogant monsters, only seeing honor in killing and slaughter.  
Behind Gohan, Nappa and Raditz instantly charged. Without turning around, Gohan swung his free arm back and sent them careening in the other direction. It was nothing but a light flick, but they still crashed helplessly into the opposite wall, neither able to recover immediately.

“Don’t you want to try as well, Vegeta?” Gohan asked, looking away from Kakarotto; the Saiyan was still trying to get away.  
Vegeta remained imperturbable in his chair:  
“What for? Kakarotto will follow your demands, I'll make sure of that. Now, tell us more about this magic.”  
Gohan then released his hold on Kakarotto, who started to fall clumsily on his back. But before he could hit, Gohan barely ignited his aura, grabbed Kakarotto by the chest, and spun him into the ground. Satisfied, he once again took a seat facing Vegeta and began to speak of the famous magic. That is, without disclosing exactly what the elements he had spoken of, those present in the arena, were. The other three Saiyans remained standing, upset, but not daring to attack the warrior again.  
Gohan then answered a few of the Saiyan’s questions. They discussed Majin Buu, including all the djinn’s various forms, among other things, before Gohan decided to take his leave, saying he had explained plenty. He hoped that Vegeta would not only heed his words, but also keep true on his promise that Kakarotto would fight fairly.Leaving, Gohan noticed that the Piccolos of universes 16 and 18 were "sleeping" in the same position. They both sat cross-legged, levitating in the air, with eyes closed; but there could be no doubt they were alert to everything transpiring around them.  
To the left of Son Gohan, Old Kaioshin of universe 9 was just leaving from the quarters of the organizers. But he went back to his room without even glancing at Gohan. In the area of the sixteenth, Vegetto was also leaving. He had just finished discussing things with his universe’s Gohan, who had then gone to bed, leaving Vegetto alone to resume his walk. As Gohan continued back to the apartments of the 18th, he also crossed paths with a few warriors of universe 19, who were also just heading inside. Among them were Eleim and Xeniloum.  
Meanwhile, as the son of Son Goku was about to enter his room, he felt a familiar aura. Someone was sneaking around the apartments of universe 18, someone he immediately recognized.  
“Freeza...really? Hah, some night! It’s like I’m bumping into everyone that used to scare the hell out of me back when I was a kid!”  
Gohan vanished immediately, super speeding his way towards the creeping aura of Freeza. He found the frost demon immediately, Gohan deciding to be stealthy himself: It was childs play, as Freeza had no chance of detecting his energy without using a scouter. King Cold's son moved stealthily, quickly and quietly nonetheless. He was looking for something, that much was obvious. But it was Gohan that he found instead.  
Freeza was stunned when the business-dressed Saiyan suddenly appeared just in front of his face, but he didn’t run. Rather, he froze, the two warriors staring at one another in silence. Gohan finally spoke.  
“Freeza...In my universe you were a tyrant. You made everyone around you suffer for the sake of your own ambition. You nearly wiped out the entire Namekian race in pursuit of your evil whims...but you were defeated...”  
“You...You're a Saiyan?” Freeza asked quizzically, wanting to confirm his hypothesis.  
“Half-Saiyan, yes,” Gohan replied. But he had questions of his own. “Freeza, I could just turn you in, but first answer me this. I’m sure you recognize Vegeta, but do you know any of the other people from universe 18?”  
Freeza didn’t immediately respond, seeming to turn the question over in his mind. He looked Gohan in the eyes, then said:  
"No, I only know Vegeta.”  
“Really?”  
Surprised, Gohan started to leave, turning his back to the Frost Demon, but then said one last thing:  
“I’m not going to fight you, Freeza, even if I could knock you out in one fell swoop. You deserve it; you’re responsible for a great many evils in my universe. I could vaporize your head with a thought, but you're in luck: I'm very peaceful. Now, leave our space immediately and stop your snooping around! Someone other than me could catch you next time, and they might not be so nice...”  
Gohan then left quietly for his room, monitoring the aura of Freeza to make sure he left their space.  
In the dimly lit corridors of the arena, several of the Universe 1 Nameks were walking, their senses alert. Patrolling a certain area, the small score kept their eyes watchful. They were certainly not the most powerful of their own species, but despite that, they hadn’t detected anyone out and about who was a danger to them.  
During the night, almost all of the Nameks on patrol had felt drafts in the corridors; strange, as the Varga facilities had no ventilation system. These drafts were random, like small whips of air out of nowhere. But, in spite of the peculiarity, none of Nameks were alarmed. They saw nothing and no one. And, as the Varga’s were much shorter, very few of them even felt the occasional unexplained breezes.  
Coola was the author of these almost imperceptible air movements. With overwhelming force, which was somehow drowned out by the ambience of the powerful fighters in the arena, the son of Cold moved very quickly in the hallways. He zapped over the heads of Namekians without making a sound, his stealthy tactics very effective at concealing his presence.  
He was looking for something, carefully inspecting inside of each room he found. This explained the cases where a few of the Vargas, each having a small apartment to himself, returned home to find their doors wide open but no one inside. But in spite of his thoroughness, Coola could not find what he wanted: the Dragon Balls. Yet he wasn’t ready to give up yet. He still had a lot of ground to cover.  
While he was still speeding silently through the hallways, something he thought was a fist struck him on the left cheek, hurling him into the corner of a corridor. The shock was violent and unexpected. Coola was thrown three meters back. But he landed on his feet, one hand on his sore cheek.  
“What the—” he said, just before getting kicked again. Coola was sure he had seen a white blur, the form of someone incredibly fast, pass right under his chin.  
Freeza's brother whirled in the air, bumping his head against the ceiling of the corridor, and spun a little further before finally straightening out in midair.  
“Who's there?” he cried, looking frantically around; he saw absolutely nothing.  
“Hehe! And who are you going complain to?” said a voice behind him.  
But Coola didn’t have time to respond. An elbow immediately smashed into the top of his head, a very violent blow which rendered him immediately unconscious. He fell to the ground.  
“Cool," Vegetto said, chuckling at his pun. "One down, now to take care of the brother...” the Saiyan whispered to himself, pointing two fingers to his forehead and feeling out the Ki of his old enemy. ‘Interesting...he isn’t alone,’ the Saiyan fusion observed before teleporting.  
Indeed, Freeza was not alone, but he hadn’t yet realized that fact. The frost demon was in a small room sparsely decorated with only a chair, a few cabinets and closets, and a kind of old-school safe that was opened by a spinning combination lock.  
But these safes acted as mere closets. They were empty and devoid of interest. Freeza mumbled curses to himself, frustrated nearly to the point of despair. He had searched so many places already; where could they be? He closed his eyes, reflecting once again on all the places where he might hide the Dragon Balls if he were a Varga...when suddenly he felt a presence behind him. He turned to face the unknown visitor, a trickle of sweat on his forehead.  
“Really, don’t bother. I already scanned the entire building,” Buu of Universe 4 said, revealing himself. He sat casually in the only chair, arms crossed, one leg over the other, and smiled with an almost friendly grin. His dangling head tentacle hung between the wall and chair, the pink appendage curling up and down beside his thighs. “They aren’t here,” the Djinn said, kicking his feet into the air and leaning back. Freeza, who had now risen, continued to listen in shock. “In fact, it’s so simple. They just keep them in another universe. I would have done the same thing.”  
“You scanned the entire building?” Freeza asked, surprised that Buu could do such a thing without the use of any device. The half naked Djinn, who was entirely alone in his world, did not seem to be in a position to scan anything.  
Buu simply nodded.  
Freeza, naturally, was still skeptical. Could this strange being really be his ally? They both had to be looking for the same thing—more power through the Dragon Balls.  
“Ah, since we are alone, I have some interesting information for you. The Body Exchange ability of your Captain Ginyu...do any of your other soldiers possess it as well?”  
“What? No!” Freeza replied, beginning to ask himself a thousand questions. How could this strange being from another universe know about that ability? He had long since disposed of Ginyu. There were so many questions. Meanwhile, Buu had begun to doze off, bored.  
“If they want their armor back, they’ll have go through my whole body looking,” Buu mumbled, seemingly out of nowhere.  
“I beg your pardon?” Freeza said.  
“Huh?” Buu said, opening his eyes a little more. “Oh sorry, I must have been talking to myself; that wasn’t directed at you,” he explained. “No, I meant to say that Captain Ginyu is still alive and I know who he is. What if I told you that one of the members of Universe 8 is not in his own body?” he said.  
“What...Who?”  
Freeza was stunned. Of all the many questions that had plagued him since Buu’s sudden appearance, this was the one he wanted answered most of all.  
“Ah, now that is for you to find out!” Buu said, smiling again. He stood, gesturing with one hand while the other leaned against his hip. Buu had learned of Captain Ginyu from the memories of a group of Namekian adventurers he had absorbed. And when he had detected peculiarities in one of the members of universe 8, he quickly recalled the "Body Change" ability.  
Buu found it very amusing that this great and loyal warrior had betrayed his master, yet had secretly remained at his side, hiding all this time. And it had obviously been many, many years! The temptation to get involved was too strong for Buu to resist. The situation could turn out to be a source of great amusement, and the best way to get the ball rolling was to seek out Freeza and plant the seeds of doubt.  
Of course, Freeza was stunned. He was almost sure the demon in front of him was telling the truth. There was no reason for him to lie, and he seemed to know a great many other things as well.  
“Whose body is he in!?” Freeza repeated.  
“Now, now. I shall not be the one to rain on his parade! But back to the subject of our lost sheep, the seven wish-fulfilling orbs we so desire. It is a waste of time to keep looking here, you won't find anything."  
Buu had felt Vegetto's aura, which had only become active for a micro second, the brief instant needed to hit Coola. He wasn't surprised that the Saiyan would be out patroling either. Certainly there were constant Namekian patrols in the ultra-guarded Varga fortress, but both Vegetto and Buu knew they wouldn't be able to catch anybody worth stopping. This gave him an idea.  
"But if Dragon Balls are all you want, I can give them to you, Freeza."  
"What?" Freeza was really starting to get confused.  
"Which do you prefer? The Namekian Dragonballs? The Earth's?"  
'The Earth's?' marveled Freeza once again, the son of King Cold unaware that other Dragon Balls existed. Buu continued.  
"Two stars, eight stars...?"  
With a pink zap from his tentacle, Buu magically conjured tons of golden balls; there were all different sizes and numbers of stars. At the sight of the first three or four, Freeza was exultant. But now that there were sixteen, he realized he was being made into a fool. They were all shapes and colors now, some even had black stars...how illogical and badly contrived those looked.  
As magical balls continued to materialize, another guest decided to invite himself to the party. With a static flash, Vegetto was suddenly there. He picked up one of Buu's Dragon Balls, a nine-starred Namek sized ball, without the slightest surprise.  
"Cool! Could you make me one with four stars? It's my favorite."  
Buu smiled, immediatly complying with the request; yet the room continued to fill with even more crystal balls. It was literally raining Dragon Balls, the very objects which Freeza so greatly desired. Yet the frost demon was anything but joyous. Suddenly, Buu and Vegetto turned towards the door, simultaneously saying:  
"Whoops! Someone's coming!"  
Freeza was instantly terrified. Before he knew it, both Vegetto and Buu had teleported away, their bodies seeming to sink into the ground and disappear into nothingness. The door flung open, the room now a pool of false Dragon Balls filled two meters high. The small Varga who had opened the door found himself instantly drowned in the massive rush of balls that came rolling out of the room. Thanking his luck, Freeza took the opportunity to eclipse into the shadows once again before being seen.  
He decided to return immediately to his ship rather than the Universe 8 apartments. His getaway through the fortress was definitely too dangerous. If other warriors were to catch him, as Gohan of Universe 18 had predicted, they might not be so nice; he had been toyed with enough already and wasn't in the mood to be caught in someone's trap and disqualified! Besides, he now had plenty of other things to think about. In particular, the elusive master of disguise...Captain Ginyu.  
In the circular vessel, the Frost Demon family ship, there were a few of his men. But none of his underlings with any kind of real fighting ability had stayed on board. Reacum was the only one, but as he was still in stasis inside a healing tank, he didn't count. Reflecting with speed, Freeza decided to pull one of his technicians aside at random. When he had selected one, a henchmen whose name he hadn't yet learned, Freeza led him to a room full of computers. When they had walked to one of the computers at the far end of the room, he asked his question.  
"Do you remember the great battle when the capital of my empire was destroyed?  
Captain Ginyu is...was...the one I held responsible."  
"Yes Master, I’ve heard of it. We learned about it in school."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Eh...I was not yet born at the time, Master."  
"Pfff! Well, open up the archives and pull up all the information on it. I killed Ginyu for his failure. I want to know who took his body!"  
"Uh...I...but there's no record...I'm sorry, my lord, it's impossible to know."  
Freeza gave the young technician a look that many of his men knew well. It usually indicated that the recipient was about to lose a century or two of life expectancy. In the Frost Demon empire, methods to lengthen the normal lifespan were common and known, although usually reserved for the rich. Most of Freeza's high up soldiers benefited and easily lived two hundred years in their youth. In particular, the members of the Ginyu Force hadn't aged. Thus, the participants of the Universe 8 had not changed for years, since they had not been killed on Namek or Earth like in other universes.  
Any of Freeza's men who reached retirement age were considered lucky. The leading cause of death in Freeza's ranks was violent explosions, and those not always from the hands of the enemy! The lackey thought quickly.  
"What did you do with the body, Master? Was it sent to the furnace?"  
"Of course!"  
"Very well, then. I'll do a search in the records for the furnace of the ancient capital...Yes, here it is. Ginyu was cremated on the 1st of January, Age 763. The one in charge signed his name here...Puar."  
"Are you sure it's him?"  
"Uh, well, yes. See, he signed it. Look."  
They saw Puar's full name on the screen, along with his unique ID number and a signature in a box. Actions important enough to require confirmation, like disposing of the body of an elite, required an electronic signature. This individual had written "Puar" by hand. Most people signed with their first name or a drawing, not initials. Freeza felt he was approaching the truth.  
"Show me the papers of this soldier!"  
The screen displayed a card with a 3-dimensional photo of Puar. Among the information was a signature...which was not the same. It was a drawing of an egg with a narrow top.  
If Freeza had believed in anything other than himself, he would have blessed heaven that their technology still used handwritten signatures, despite many people insisting that an ID card was sufficient for executing actions.  
'Hah! This isn’t the same signature,' thought the tyrant. He looked at the information on the display. Puar had apparently died...only two weeks later, in an insignificant battle on another planet. Freeza didn’t even remember this particular conquest...  
"This battle, show me the information! Who was our most powerful soldier?"  
Without quite understanding what they were really looking for, his brow dripping with sweat, the young lackey searched the lists until he found what his master sought.  
"Captain Némokid, Lord. His strength was 2600 units."  
"What happened?"  
"Uh..."  
He typed frantically on the keyboard.  
"He retired shortly after. And died on June 6th, Age 784."  
"Hmm, strange that we weren't informed. Isn’t all of this information supposed to be sorted and archived by headquarters?"  
"Of course."  
"Hmm...Ginyu must have known it would too easy to trace if he killed each person right after changing bodies with them. However, there are always plenty of soldiers who would give about anything to get early retirement...he could talk to practically anyone, even the lowest level, someone he knew well and who died some time after, preventing us from following the lead...pff! Curse that pink idiot!! He could have told me more! But it’s not like I can just go back and ask him."  
"Master, am I to understand that Captain Ginyu is still alive? But what does this have to do with all the other soldiers?"  
“Hn! Be careful what you ask. Very few people have ever been told of this, but Ginyu once had the power to swap his own soul with that of another. He could change bodies with whoever he so chose. He clearly took the body of this Puar, signed in his place, and threw his old carcass into his furnace.  
“I see! But, I’m curious...the captain’s total unquestioned devotion to you, Lord Freeza, was legendary! Plus, the face on Ginyu’s own identification card...it never changed. How was he able to alter his records, or had he just never changed bodies after entering your service?”  
“Ah, yes. That. His purple body, the one with horns that everyone is familiar with, formerly belonged to a powerful demon mutant on a planet that we attacked. At the time, Ginyu was a simple soldier. But being an opportunist, he was able to steal this demon’s body. After that I promoted him, and, since he never found a more powerful body, he kept it. I specifically arranged to have his picture identification changed in all our systems, and that’s how he became well known in that particular form.”  
“But, that’s an extremely dangerous power! What was there to prevent him from using it on you?”  
Freeza gave him the same threatening look again, causing the little man to begin trembling.  
“Idiot! Do you really believe that his pathetic body exchange technique would have any effect on a Frost Demon?! No, Ginyu knew his place. He respected his superiors, his loyalty was unquestioned; the thought that he would betray me with his ability never crossed my mind!”  
In fact, the admiration and respect that Ginyu had for Freeza was indeed great, but the captain respected many others as well. In many universes, when he had faced Son Goku on Namek, he had trembled in utter fear, believing him to be the Legendary Super Saiyan. But when he realized that the Saiyan was just "immensely strong", he reconsidered, beginning his strategy to change bodies with him immediately. Captain Ginyu was an honest and respectful fighter, not one to use unfair advantages in a duel. But the Frost Demons, as well as other rare myths and legends, were too frightening for him to dare trying to take their bodies.  
“But you killed him rather unfairly; perhaps he held on to resentment all these years and...”  
Realizing the brashness of what he had just suggested, the little man began to sweat profusely, feeling death itself crawl onto his back. He slowly lifted his eyes up to his master, terrified. Freeza's gaze was no longer the same threatening look as it had been the other two times. Now, it was pumping with genuine anger. And nothing was worse than to be the nearest living creature to Freeza when he was absolutely livid.  
“Ma...Master, I'm sorry. I only meant to suggest a possibility of what was going through Ginyu’s head! Of course he was wrong to question you, my lord! I'm just trying to understand his way of thinking!”  
Freeza was silent, his wrath contained by only a small thread.  
“I'll begin to investigate it immediately, Lord! Not to sound boastful, but I am very skilled at this kind of research. I can carefully comb through all the data available, tracking Ginyu’s path from body to body based on the different deaths and dates we have in our records. I’ll be sure to catch the little details, any unusual action, such as a soldier who asked to change his password because he seemingly forgot. I promise to investigate this matter as thoroughly as possible, and I assure you I will discover which body Ginyu is currently inhabiting! And, of course, I absolutely will operate with the utmost secrecy. You can count on me, Lord Freeza!”  
Freeza’s glare softened. He was pleased with the idea, though still impatient. At first, he had intended to kill the technician when he had concluded the interrogation. But allowing him to investigate was a much more productive option.  
“Alright, you may proceed with your plan. Succeed, and you will be promoted; riches the world over shall be yours. But if you fail...or if there is a leak, I'll find a way to make you wish you had never been born!  
Freeza left the small computer room to let his new investigator get to work. But he did not rejoin the other members of his family right away. He decided not to even mention the subject to them, not yet at least. For the moment, he preferred to meditate in his own small chamber and ponder the situation...Ginyu couldn’t hide forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ill update soon


	6. The Tournament Intensifies

Vunnvenly. This sumptuous planet accommodated one of the most gentle people of its galaxy. For thousands of years, they built lavish palaces, skyscrapers and monuments... Then they were conquered by the Frost Demons who also saw this planet as a work of art. However, they didn't destroy it; they settled there. Vuunvenly gained new visitors and a higher reputation, both in beauty and in culture. In years that followed, many aliens eventually resided there to establish their retirement. Vunnvenly quickly became the capital of universal culture, a gem of beauty, and at the same time, the capital of Lord Freeza's empire.  
In innumerable universes, this universal multicultural center escaped from the destruction and even the reign of the Frost Demons....however, in certain universes…

Universe 8, more than thirty years ago...  
Lord Freeza hovered several hundred feet above the ground. Frightened, he contemplated the damage caused by a surprisingly formidable warrior: a Saiyan. The mighty Frost Demon decided to confront the warrior himself, as he believed he was more powerful than any Saiyan he had known, more powerful than even the Ginyu squad put together. These were five, five against one Saiyan and one of his friends... But Freeza had to transform, reach his original form in order to fight and eliminate the Saiyan. The fight had resulted in the total destruction of the city.  
Once prosperous and joyous, it now resembled a large battlefield. Everywhere he glanced, all he saw was desolation, ruins, and thick smoke rising high in the sky. He looked below him: surrounded by a dozen of large craters stood the Ginyu commando, waiting for their master to inquire a little refreshing news. Gritting his teeth, the Frost Demon descended from the air, landing smoothly on the ground below.  
The commando approached. Kneeling, their leader Ginyu lowered his head as a sign of submission. His armor was cracked and the purple mutant showed numerous scratches on his body. Behind him, a little more damaged than his leader, Butta held Jeice in his arms; he was unconscious and injured. To the right of Butta, Reecom stood slightly behind. He was the one that seemed to have received the most damage. His armor was shattered and his tunic was torn on his whole right side. He had numerous scratches. As for the latter, even their best medical units could no longer do anything for him...  
Freeza was furious! Fists clenched, he screamed:  
"The capital of my empire! Destroyed! A jewel of beauty, of magnificence! There's nothing left!"

The fact that most of his own attacks were responsible for half the damage was only a small detail. He needed a scapegoat and he certainly wasn't going to blame himself! Ginyû looked up toward his boss:  
"It's my fault, master. I wasn't able to contain the Saiyan. I take full responsibility!"  
Freeza powerfully struck the ground with his tail, ejecting pieces of rock and dust into the air.  
"Oh really?" he replied rhetorically, straightening up his body.  
His anger was so terrible that Ginyû only saw one way to calm him down.  
He pointed his finger toward Ginyû. Behind Freeza, some warriors of his army showed.  
Ginyû was paralyzed. It didn't take a genius to anticipate what was coming. He hesitated a moment, wanting to react. In the end, he decided to do nothing. About a second later, a violet beam pierced him clean through the middle of the chest. The purple mutant tensed, his muscles stiffening all at once, cutting off his breath. Around him, the other members of his team were shocked. Butta dropped Jeice, who as of yet, still remained unconscious. The captain's muscles eventually lost all power and dropped. He then fell back, motionless.  
"Time to find a new name for your squad! You're done dancing!" cried Lord Freeza. "Go and burn that body!"  
No conscious Ginyû Force member moved however. One, it wasn't their job to burn the body. Two, it was also their commander, who of which they had great respect for. They would never do such a thing.  
As nobody moved, one of the men of Freeza decided to take initiative. The young Pôar took a slow, halting step. Realizing that no negative remark was made to him, hurried up. He lifted Ginyû's left arm over his shoulder, then dragged him inside building. Slowly, he reached the destination: an incinerator. He dropped the body to program the machine. Ginyu layed face down then Pôar looked at him for moment...then struck his foot hard into the captain's. The idea seemed satisfactory: it was such a pleasure to be able to kick someone who was thousand times stronger than himself without punishment! However, he hurt his foot kicking it against the chest piece of Ginyû's black-plated armour.  
He spat on the body, insulting the captain with cursing names before he went back in front of the machine to finalize the sequence of incineration. When Ginyû's was ready, he turned his body to face the opposite way. He now lay on his back, inert.  
On his back?  
Pôar approached, kneeling down to inspect the body. The one thought dead, Ginyû, suddenly opened his eyes and shouted something. Everything was confusing in the mind of the young Pôar. A blinding flash and an impression of suffocation as something went in and out of his mouth, blurred vision, which was followed by an extremely sharp pain in the middle of the chest...His vision was blurry...something was wrong. He was now cold, and lying on the ground in great pain. He tried to listen, but heard nothing reassuring. He felt himself being carried and placed on a surface that seemed even softer than the floor. Then a sense of movement as if he were on a treadmill. The sensation of cold disappeared. Heat, reassuring at first glance, enveloped him completely. Warmth, initially so soft, gradually began sting him, then began to burn. He no longer had anymore strength to shout, or to struggle. A few seconds later, and the process was finished...  
The body of Ginyû was no more, but his mind lived on in another body due to his signature technique: Body Change. Ginyû had become Pôar, and Pôar had died in his place.  
Freeza sat in his antigravity capsule, his head leaned forward, lips touching his fingers intertwined, he was still reflecting on the valueable information he learned earlier. For him, there was only one conclusion he could think of following the random exposition of Majin Buu:  
'It's obvious now...Captain Ginyû is not dead. He's hiding amongst my men! But which body is he in now?'  
He thought of the people closest to him, immediately forgetting about his father and brother. There were still remaining members of the Ginyû Force among his empire, soldiers working under Coola, and the more or less important crew members of his vessel...  
But it was impossible to know for sure...

Ginyû was very intelligent, and a fine tactician, always thinking several steps ahead. His acting abilities were impeccable; he knew how to adapt to any situation no matter what role he had to play.  
To be in the pathetic body of Pôar didn't limit, or bother him much; it was a situation far better than death. He thought of it as a preliminary stage and as a provisional body. However, he knew he could not simply change bodies again so quickly or it would arouse suspicion. Ginyû played the role of Pôar for several days until he heard talk about an assault on a planet; a planet who's name he did not recognize.  
War and battles were the perfect pretexts! Pôar went to register as a volunteer for that particular battle. Ginyû calculated and prepared a plan in perfect detail. The leader of the strike force was a being named Nemokid. He was the captain. Although his strength his was still miserable to that of his old body, it was much greater than the one he currently possessed. He was always protected by his two bodyguards, hidden in an outpost shielded from the frontlines. It was easy for the small body of Pôar to slip away unnoticed and hide in the shadows, as well as being able to move quietly and accurately to reach the captain. Then, in a strong voice, he shouted:  
"The enemy is here! They took us back!"  
Under the orders of the trembling Nemokid, both bodyguards went out. The results were as expected: he was alone. Ginyû slipped into the room and immediately used his special technique to switch bodies with the captain. He was now Nemokid. Now facing him was Pôar, who didn't understand the event that had just transpired; all he knew was one thing for certain: he had been had. The new Nemokid eliminated him with an energy attack of weak potency, but sufficient enough to destroy him.  
When the two bodyguards eventually returned, they found the remains of Pôar and stared at them. Ginyû intervened rapidly:  
"This traitor attempted to eliminate me on behalf of the enemy! Clean this mess up! I have a battle to win."  
Ginyû was ready to play each of his roles as he was needed to. Nemokid was there to win the battle. And that was precisely what he was going to do, while at the same time Nemokid's army was losing ground. Following this assault, Ginyû meticulously considered his next step. Nemokid was rather old; close to retirement in fact, which would prevent him from being on the battlefield with beings more powerful than himself. He would be required to change bodies once again in the near future. In addition, he had no idea what Nemokid's life resembled, if he had a family, an occupation... These types of things would definitely pose a problem...  
Back in the capital, Ginyû recalled a promise he once made to a sick, old friend who had been bedridden for many years. This was a perfect opportunity to cover his tracks once again. He's known it for several decades: like him, the soldier took part in many battle before falling ill. It was one of those rare people whom Ginyû had absolute confidence in: a true friend.  
He was kept on artificial life support; the room become somewhat of a second home for him. Without the life support, he would only have a few minutes to live. His mind would live on, but in an almost catatonic state.  
Ginyû wasted no time and told him everything without hesitation. Fortunately for him, his friend could still hear and understand him completely: he proposed the body of Nemokid to him; an old soldier ready for retirement.

Freeza's new investigator, Nabana, did his job well. He researched many things and eventually discovered the name of the patient whom the captain had gone to visit thirty years ago. It was a strange fact since, in the years preceeding this moment, Nemokid had never visited anyone in that capital.  
To study the archives to find Captain Ginyû was not an easy task. After only the first few hours, Nabana realized that to follow dozens, then hundreds, of lives to find the detail which would unmask Ginyû, would require a huge stroke of luck. He used his head, his logic, and relied partly on chance.  
If this 'Nemokid' was Ginyû, and he had gone to visit someone who was ill, was it to change bodies? Freeza had guessed it: many people would give anything to be able to enjoy a relaxing life, away from the danger and stress of capital wars. And if he were to survive?  
The dying man who could aquire the body of a retired man would have no reason to reveal the truth. 'Ginyû took the body of the patient to get rid of that Nemokid; he would have been forced to the take the body of a nurse then...' thought Nabana. The investigator sought the first nurse who returned to visit the patient after Nemokid left... No... Not the first; it was too easy. The second rather...  
Since Ginyû was highly intelligent, Nabana suspected it. It was a necessity that he should try to think as the captain would in order to find him. Ginyû would've never taken the first body to come his way... Nabana checked further reports on the second male nurse: after two medical errors in the same day, then a so-called memory loss prevented the investigator to find his home that evening; he took a leave of sickness.  
Six months later, he was killed in a terrible accident in front of the eyes of his seven-year-old son... A son who, after some research, aquired perfect scores on tests in his class, while he was, in the opinion of Nabana, 'a psychologically immature retard.' Translator's Note: "Retard" was the actual direct translation. Hopefully this didn't offend anyone!.  
For several hours, Nabana searched through reports, statements, notes, and other administrative documents conceding the son of the nurse. He didn't find anyway until his arrest at the age of twenty-two years old, following many small offences, followed by a robbery gone awry. Psychological studies that followed showed that the young man suffered from a serious case of double personality syndrome. One of them had completely supplanted the other: there was more to this podigal son's perfect scores; he wasn't absolutely certain he was the right person to be part of the forces of order.  
In epoch, it was insanity. Today, Nabana knew that it was the truth. Ginyû had acquired the body of a member of the police force... But which one? Nabana had to check each of one of them, and it was going to take the rest of the night.

Captain Ginyû felt safe after so many years. Sixteen years after his "death", he was still alive and nobody knew. But he knew he'd be an idiot to to leave any shadow of a doubt behind him. He wouldn't allow any errors.  
From now on, in the body of a police officer, he started to prepare a vast plan in order to regain rank and power.  
Eleim, Xeniloum, Naurb and another fourth U19 fighter dealt with the Kaioshin's of Universe 1. Fortunately, they didn't have to sleep with all the people who came to watch them. Yet again, it had to do with a request that had been addressed to them:  
"He stole it! I want my armor back!" repeated Xeniloum for the second time.  
"This isn't about a childish demand." added Eleim, advancing ahead a step, leaving his comrade behind him. Now deprived of his armor, Xeniloum was indeed somewhat stressed.  
"Our armies are extremely dangerous and difficult to handle." Naurb intervened. "This 'Majin Buu' knows absolutely nothing about it! He could atomize us all while he's trying to figure out how it works!"  
"This threat is real..." Eleim finished. "We must recover it at once."  
The Kaioshin's looked around and took a few seconds before coming to a decision. The West Kaioshin broke the silence:  
"Very well, I will go with you. Let's go and see the fighter from Universe 4."  
She was already walking toward the exit, the four warriors of the Universe 19 on her heels. Outside, no was around, it was only the five of them. They entered space 4 and the West Kaioshin knocked on the only one door. Majin Buu invited them in immediately. Did he already expect this visit? Although the room was made solely for him, there were six chairs around a large table which Buu installed prior to the visit. Smiling, he addressed them a greeting of the hand and invited his guests to sit, which they all did, with the exception of the fourth warrior.  
"What can I do for you?" asked Buu in an amused tone, already knowing their motives.  
"These men would like to recover the armor that you stole during your battle" began the Western Kaioshin.  
"I earned it fair and square. Nowhere in the tournament rules does it state I could not absorb it."  
He answered quick; he prepared his argument ahead of time to support his defense.  
Xeniloum threw an interrogative glance at the Western Kaioshin, who immediately answered:  
"Indeed, you are correct... However, they affirm that their armor is incredibly dangerous, and difficult to handle. They merely wish to get it back as soon as possible, in order to avoid an accident.  
"Dangerous for somebody who does not know how to operate it." he retorted.  
"What?" shouted Xeniloum. "You know how to use it?! That's impossible!"  
"Calm down!" intervened the Kaioshin before diverting her attention to Buu. "I appeal to your 'fair play': return him his armor. If you wish to keep it, we will think it over at the end of the tournament."  
Buu turned to Xeniloum.  
"I know who Ginyû is. Because one of the members of Universe 8 is not in his true body.  
Xeniloum raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth, however, no words came out. Buu blinked twice, then said:  
"Sorry, I was elsewhere. If you want your armor back, you will have to go through me, just as you did in the ring.  
With those words, he stood up, his body expanding on all sides, but then shriveled to become very fine, just as it was when he absorbed the armor during his match.  
'In any case, I'm done with this armor. It will pose no problems if I return it.'  
In front of Buu, the warriors of U19 hesitated.  
"I will do it." said Xeniloum. "I won't miss my chance."  
He was desperate to recover his armor at all costs in spite of what his comrades might think.  
"Anytime!" said Buu, with a smile on his lips.  
In the heat of the moment, Xeniloum wasn't sure what to do next: walk toward him? Run? Jump? He did a bit of all three. He took a firm step forward, then after a short dash, he sprang with outstretched arms as if he was protecting himself.  
He had a small expression of dislike as he crossed his arms, a feeling which he had no time for during a fight. Then, a mysterious force caused him to uncross his arms, then hold them tightly to the sides of his body. Xeniloum closed his eyes until he felt the floor touch the soles of his feet. He opened his eyes and noticed with pleasure that he was once again wearing his armor. It had suffered no damage, in fact, it looked even better than before. Behind him, he heard his comrades insult Majin Buu: how long had it been before reappearing? Was this a trick? Nonetheless, he had retrieved his armor back.  
On the other hand, Xeniloum didn't know that Buu had time to analyze his DNA, his digital fingerprints, eyepieces, his cerebral waves, and his Ki. All in all, everything of use within the armor. He had the time necessary to creat an exact replica. With the new data acquired, he would have no trouble using it in the future. Majin Buu resumed his normal shape and looked at the other three warriors and the West Kaioshin as well. They all stood up, none of them pointing out the deceit. With a snap of the fingers, Buu could reveal the armor and nobody would doubt it for a moment.Xeniloum, with a smile, thanked Buu, the West Kaioshin doing the same. Eleim as well thanked him in order to set an example among the group, but the others weren't convinced. They still remained cautious and wary. Majin Buu smiled back at them and let them go. When the door was shut, his smile became even greater.  
"Ah, finally! Let's see what I can do now after copying his cerebral waves! It should be most amusing. I also need to check on something...  
Buu placed two fingers on his forehead and suddenly disappeared.

'Night' soon came to an end. Many contestants began to wake as the first spectators arrived aboard the Vargas' vessels. In space 8, the Frost Demon clan never slept at all. King Cold had attempted a nap, Freeza kept recalling the past, and Coola sought the Dragon Balls all night, even after being knocked down. He wasn't aware that, to avoid disqualification of his universe, someone had helped him pass unnoticed. Vegetto had stopped him dead in his tracks while he headed toward a group of Nameks and Vargas by chance. Subsequently, Buu sometimes remained hidden from the eyes of the supervisor Nameks!  
But the Dragon Balls weren't there, causing Coola to return to his space in disappointment. Sitting on a chair next to his father, he turned to him and said:  
"I searched all night... And nothing, absolutely nothing."  
He rested his head on his hand, his elbow sitting firmly on the table.  
"What's more, I don't even know who it was that attacked me..."  
Cold raised and eyebrow. Who dared to take on one of his offspring? He asked:

"And where's your brother?"  
"He returned to the ship. I think something is disturbing him. Maybe he's sulking. However, this is the start of the second round."  
Cold barely paid any attention to Coola's protest. He preferred turning to one of their henchmen:  
"Hey, you! Fetch me a new armor with a beautiful cape. The second round is about to start and I want to show my royal presence! I won't look like a king without a cape!" said Cold, who then turned back to his son.  
"Ye-Yes! I'll get on that immediately!" said the little blue creature who quickly slipped away in order to complete his new mission.  
A little later, a door opened in the 9th space located next the Frost Demons. Inside, Videl and Trunks were still fast asleep in their splendidly decorated double king-sized bed. The room was illuminated by the light from the corridor, through a small opening in which someone entered quietly.  
On the tip of their toes, this mysterious visitor walked to the side of the bed. He first saw Trunks who was sleeping with closed fists. The man moved to the other side of the bed. Videl slept on her back, one arm above her head. The cover was slightly lowered.  
"Oh, oh!" said the mysterious person with a large smile from ear to ear.  
He tightened his hand, which he had posed delicately on the chest of the woman... Who woke up immediately, her eyes now wide open. Instantly, her body surrounded itself with a strong crimson aura, and, with one hand, she smacked the visitor, then with the other hand in a fist, struck the visitor's eye. No matter who it was, they deserved punishment!  
The pervert crashed against the opposite wall; the room lit up immediately. Alarmed by the shouting of Videl, Kulilin and Tenshinhan arrived in the room while Trunks slowly woke up.  
"Let me sleep, I learned at my expense." said the boy with a tired voice.  
Kulilin looked at the man against the wall: it was the Elder Kaioshin!  
"You struck a God?!"  
"That pervert put his hand on my chest! God or not, he deserved it!"  
"N-No!" the Kaioshin replied in a trembling voice. I... I'm just in the wrong room!"  
"Liar!"  
Kulilin and Tenshinhan helped the God get back up. Tien made him leave the room while Trunks passed a hand through his hair.  
"More fear than harm." said Kulilin. Now that we're all up, let's meet for breakfast in a few minutes.  
Kulilin kept a smile, amused by the situation. He recalled the serious times, where, after his death, he had gone to see the North Kaioh intent on learning techniques that would help him protect the Earth from an alien invasion. This God had forced Tenshinhan and himself to tell a good joke, they had to make him laugh in order to receive training. If they were unsuccessful, the final fate of the Earth would have been significantly different. Are all of the Gods jokers?

A few hours later... Within the Varga control center, a small bird yawned. The sleepy-eyed bird was thoroughly exhausted, as he’d been waiting at his post for what seemed like hours. Beneath his eyes were a pair of dark circles, a product of his overtaxing himself, not to mention his ears were burning to hear that his shift had finally ended.  
“At last... It's finally morning,” he sighed, having watched the clock above his head in a trance-like state, counting the tick of each second. “Increase the light,” the Varga repeated, yawning. “Okay, you crazy overpowered monsters. Time to wake up.” Stretching his arms above his head, he yawned once more before adjusting the control panel in front of him.  
“Morning,” another Varga said, greeting him with a friendly cup of coffee. “Woah. You look like you didn’t sleep a wink, Duckdonald.”  
“Oh, hey, Duckdaffy,” he replied, trying to manage a pleasant face. “The alarms rang all night long...though, of course, nobody was detected.”  
The other Varga set down his coffee glass, taking a seat beside him. “Seriously? So you think the participants were able to just sneak around our complex undetected? That seems a little far fetched.”  
“Not all of them, no. But have you seen what some of these fighters can do? We’re in denial if we think we can control them. A few are even superior to the Kaioshins!”  
“Right, like it was with Broly. You’re concerned that even our technology can’t contain them. But...surely you’re just stressing too much...I mean just look at you.”  
The sleepy Varga sighed, wanting so badly to close his eyes for even a moment. “We should all be worried. In my personal opinion, if we don’t improve our systems before tomorrow night, it could be a disaster.”  
“Yeah...” Duckdaffy agreed. “Just hearing about what they can do gives me goosebumps.”  
“Oh, and did you hear? One of our guards was doing his routine sweeps last night, when he thought he heard some commotion. As soon as he opened up the door, a sea of dragonballs came crashing out on him. The whole room was filled with them!”  
“What! You’re kidding!”  
“Nope! Poor guy never even saw them coming.”  
“That’s crazy! But...I thought we didn’t even bring the dragonballs!”  
“Right, that’s the most mysterious part of all!” Duckdaffy said. “None of us brought any dragonballs here, and we’re sure none of the contestants did either. And then, all of a sudden, we have dozens of them rolling around in one room!” He put his hand up to the height of his chest, showing how deep the room had been with the golden spheres.  
“That’s just further proof that we have to improve our monitoring systems,” Duckdonald said, leaning back in his chair.  
“Yeah.”  
“Oh, and what about the Varga? Who was it? Is he alright?”  
“It was Docanardo, one of our inspectors from that sector of the compound. And yeah, he’s going to heal up as good as new. He’s just got a few bumps on his head. Poor guy. He was actually supposed to have gotten off duty a few minutes before, but VécéCanard, his replacement, was stuck in the toilet.  
“Well,” Duckdonald laughed. “I can at least say this. I’d rather be dead tired here, than down there getting crushed by a sea of dragonballs.”  
“Yeah, same here,” Duckdaffy agreed.  
“Good luck up here, then. I don’t think I could stay awake even five more minutes,” the first Varga said, rising from his chair slowly.  
In the stands, the audience had begun to make their way back to their seats, most of them having already found their places. Throughout the grandstands, hundreds of conversations were already taking place, viewers discussing everything from their favorite contestants from yesterday to predictions about the upcoming matches.  
After the audience had pretty much all taken their positions, the participants began to come out from their dormitories. The warriors of the universe 19 were the first out, besides the few fighters who had not moved all night, such as Cell. Next out were the Kaioshins and those of Universe 2, followed by the Super Saiyans of Universe 13, Trunks from Universe 12, the “Space Pirates” of Universe 6, the Frost Demons, and Tapion. Next, the group from Universe 18 made their way out into their designated viewing area.  
Goten, the first one back out into the arena, turned back to the corridor, cupping his hand and yelling back inside.  
“Dad, put down the breakfast and get out here!”  
Kulilin, who had just come out of space 9 with Tien, noticed the Saiyans of universes 13 and 18 immediately.  
“Well, there’s those Saiyans again...”  
“I simply made a mistake!” old Kaioshin gulped, defensively raising his hands in a surrender. “My, what brutality!” Having already received a black eye, he was still trying to find an acceptable excuse for his little shenanigan the previous night.  
“A god? Going to the wrong room!” Videl shouted, clearly refusing to let the matter pass. “Are you kidding me!?”  
Behind her, Bulma and Trunks walked over in an attempt to calm her down, while Yamcha merely laughed from the far corner.

In the space for Universe 4, Buu suddenly appeared via instant transmission. He had just returned from examining the entirety of this “empty” universe. As it turns out, just as the Vargas had said, it was indeed completely barren. It didn’t even have a Heaven or Hell. These spiritual realms, in the other universes, were a result of there being life. With no life in this universe, how could there be an underworld? The planets and galaxies in this empty place, without even an Otherworld, cohabited together without any kind of separation. The dead, those who had passed during the tournament so far, were the first spirits to ever exist within this realm. Their souls now wandered throughout the empty cosmos; alone, without form, conscience, or purpose.  
Buu crossed his arms and smiled. Everything was going perfectly.  
Within the apartment of Universe 14, Android 18 was still casually lying on her bed, her hands relaxed behind her head.  
“Go if you want, 17,” she said, her eyes closed lazily. “I’m staying here.”  
“But, sis! Come on! Today’s the day I’m finally going to kill Son Goku! You should at least come watch my match.”  
“Sorry. I’m boycotting this stupid tournament,” she replied, thinking about what Yamcha of Universe 9 had said to her yesterday.  
# 17 sighed, crossing his arms. “All right, sis. Suit yourself,” he said, still hoping she would change her mind.  
Finally, the competitors and spectators from Universe 16 made their way out, Gohan and Videl in the lead, followed by Piccolo and Vegetto.  
“I spoke to the Kaïoshins last night,” the physicist said to his wife.  
“And did they agree to your proposal?”  
“I’m not sure yet. They said they would consider my request.”  
Walking behind the pair, Piccolo had listened in on their conversation, not meaning anything by it. But he’d said nothing, as he preferred to focus on Cell.  
"He didn’t move at all last night..." he thought, the bio-android silently shifting his eyes to meet with the Namek. Piccolo quickly adjusted his own.  
“Pfff,” Bra mumbled under her breath. “There are too many of these pathetic participants. We’ll spend another day watching all these amateurs make fools of themselves...what could be more mind-numbingly boring?”  
“Take advantage of this free time to train your patience and self-control,” her father replied, having been listening over her shoulder.  
‘Tch! I just had to open my big mouth,’ Bra thought, rolling her eyes. All she really wanted was to let out a simple complaint, but her dad always had to make everything into a lesson.

‘Self-control? My patience has already lasted through a day and a half without slapping these idiots into oblivion. Give me a break.’  
“Hmm... Hey, Piccolo?” she said, turning back to the Namek. “Could you materialize me a training suit, something very heavy?”  
“If that’s what you want,” he said, approaching her. He was almost glad to not be included in the ‘annoyance’ that was everyone else. “I’ve inlaid the clothing with several tons,” he warned.  
Bra’s new attire included a pair of dark pants with a long, thick belt and a heavy grey sweater. Indeed, the garments were so stout that the ground underneath her cracked under her weight.  
“Perfect,” the girl said, smiling. She levitated up just a few inches off the ground, testing out the feel.  
Now that all the fans in the grandstand, in addition to the contestants, had taken their places, the loudspeakers once again boomed to life.  
“Welcome, everyone, to the second “Day” here, for round two of the one-and-only inter-universal tournament!”  
Thousands of cheers rose up throughout the audience, Bra already feeling impatient at the petty showiness of the whole thing. Suddenly, a dome flew through the air and began to hover just above the ring. On board were seated five alien musicians, their instruments already tuned and in hand. Immediately the song began, one of the greatest hits ever from Universe 1.  
“Well well! A musical interlude!” Trunks of Universe 16 said.  
“Alien music?” Gohan replied, curious as to what it would sound like.  
“This is awful,” Bra of Universe 18 complained, crossing her arms.  
“Hmm... It’s both original and rhythmic. And they play their instruments with such grace and precision!” Tapion complemented. Beside him, Dr. Raichi only groaned.

“What a horrible noise!” Babidi cried, covering his ears. “It sounds like an exploding glaviot!”  
“It sounds like that dreadful music you have performed at your fancy receptions,” said King Cold, the tall frost demon still noticeably without his typical armor.  
“I beg your pardon!” Coola replied, quite flustered. “This mockery isn’t anything close to my own tastes! Clearly this performance is nothing but the latest concoctions in the style of Figrindan Punk Symphony. Whereas a finer pallet, such as my own, would strictly enjoy only the Figrindan Classical Symphony.”  
“What unrefined tastes these squawking Vargas have, daring to present us anything less than the most eloquent of virtuosos!” Freeza laughed, never missing an opportunity to mock his brother. “I agree, the Figrindan Classical Rhythm is far superior to this musical abomination.”  
Among those particularly offended by the music were the two Vegetas, from Universe 18 and 13. Each could suddenly recall long forgotten memories in which they had each been a guest at Lord Freeza’s many receptions; surrounded by these pathetic alien dignitaries who weren’t even able to fight, but rather ran Freeza’s day to day imperial business from behind comfortable desks. Oh how each one had longed to kill these pathetic social personalities, though it was strictly forbidden.  
The fools had even mocked him unwittingly, exchanging their pleasantries, referring to him as King Vegeta sarcastically, asking him why he didn’t have a beard. Each word they spat, their smooth and wet political tongues, made the Saiyan prince want to rip their throats out all the more.  
However, the general consensus of the crowd seemed to be one of high approval. The musical intermission was well received by most, even the simple minded among them finding it to be both catchy and pleasant. However, the contestant of Universe 4 did not feel such.  
“WHAT IS THIS INSULT!!?” Buu yelled, his voice reverberating throughout the whole arena so that everyone could hear. Even the musicians, surprised as they were, stopped their playing mid-song to see the source of the disturbance. Sitting on a lone bench in Universe 3, Baddack suddenly looked up, wondering if this was the same moment he had seen earlier in a vision.  
‘Could this...be what I saw?’ he wondered.  
Suddenly, Buu teleported himself up onto the musician’s platform. “You call THAT a performance? A million live spectators, the grand tournament of the multiverse, and the Vargas hire you!? It’s nothing less than an insult to the greatness of music!” Buu turned to the crowds. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Figrindan is not so pathetically simple as these fools have so poorly attempted. Give me your instruments,” he said, turning to the Bith, “and I’ll demonstrate the style with ALL its subtleties and nuances.”  
Indeed, Buu had become a musical poet like no other in his universe, in addition to having an unparalleled appreciation for every art form. It was really no different with any other field either, be it knowledge or skill, he had absorbed the best that existed...at everything.  
“This interruption is unacceptable. I’m stopping him,” the South Kaioshin boomed, suddenly pulling up his sleeves.  
The Great Kaioshin however, smiling gleefully, diffused the situation. “Well, he certainly does have a point. This particular performance was quite lacking.”  
In the corner of Universe 16, Piccolo turned over to Vegetto with a nervous look. Grinning, the fused warrior replied before the Namek could speak.  
“You think I should intervene? Hah! But then we’d never get to hear Majin Buu, of all people, play music!”  
Suddenly, Buu extended his arms on either side, forming the shape of a T. Then, sprouting from his arms, five miniature Buus appeared, each one taking an instrument in their hand. The last Buu, however, paused, looking quizically at the musician in front of him.  
“Not you,” the mini Buu said, refusing the instrument of the alien from a galaxy far, far away. “You’re super good. Keep playing.” He almost appeared embarrassed, flushed at this Bith’s presence, then disappeared back into Buu’s arm.  
The other members of the ensemble turned to their friend, speechless, as they watched him put his instrument back to his mouth.  
Buu quickly counted the group off and the music began. The last alien, at first surprised at the melody and complexity of Buu’s variations, quickly caught up to the others, finding both the tempo and the correct key signature within the first few seconds.  
“This...is...incredible!” Coola gaped.  
“What fabulous harmonies!” Freeza replied, himself just as much in awe.  
“Wow, this is beautiful,” Tapion said in amazement. “I don’t even have the words to describe it!”  
A tear suddenly welled up in the right eye of the South Kaioshin. “It’s...a musical revolution! I’ve not heard anything so melodically pleasing or aesthetically breathtaking in millions of years!”  
In the control room above, a Varga held his finger about two inches above the button which would have returned Buu to his own universe. But he just couldn’t do it, he couldn’t stand to put an end to such wonderful symphonical genius. The Varga shut his eyes, tears welling up in each, and listened with his heart. The emotion he felt, that amazingly intense well of passion, prevented him from banishing a being capable of producing such music.  
Captivated, the entire arena seemed to be transported to another place by the quality of this new song. Even the most musically ignorant among the spectators were able to recognize the significance of this moment and to enjoy it.  
“It’s the same as before, right?” Goku asked obliviously, turning to Gohan.  
Gohan said nothing. While perhaps he hadn’t been as stunned as some, he’d certainly been able to notice the huge difference between the two.  
When the final chord was struck and the composition finally ended, the entire crowd, which had remained completely silent throughout, burst forth with joy and thankfulness.  
“Thus concludes the one-man virtuoso of all time,” Buu said smugly. “You see...THAT is music.”  
“Thank you, sir,” the musician who had been allowed to play said timidly. He was quite exhausted now, but equally overwhelmed by the music. “But, why did you let me play?”  
“I know true talent when I see it,” Buu explained. “And I’ve already met you, in my own universe. Even now, you are a part of me, along with so many other unique musicians.”  
“Oh...” the alien shivered. Hearing the music was wonderful, and being allowed to play with it was a great privilege. But he still shuttered at the thought that a copy of himself was trapped inside the body of this pink creature.  
Finally, Buu returned to his own area, quite satisfied with himself.  
“All right! Now that we have concluded our short interlude, we will now begin the second round! Again, we thank you all for being here!” The public followed the announcement with more cheers and exclamations.  
“The resistance, durability, and gravity of the ring will now be multiplied by ten for the second round!”  
“So, the gravity will now be one hundred times stronger than it is on Earth,” Gohan said, turning to his father.  
“Only a hundred?” Goku said, almost disappointed. “Hey! I remember training in that much back when I was on the way to Namek!”

“Um, Dad?” Pan began, her face showing worry. “Do you think it’s too much? Will I even be able to stand?”  
“Oh sure, I’m not worried about that,” Gohan replied with a fatherly smile. “You’re much stronger than my dad was when he came to save us all from Freeza. You’ll do fine in this gravity, Pan.”  
‘However,’ Gohan thought. ‘If she wins and they multiply it by ten for the next round, I wouldn’t be so confident.’  
“Now, before we begin our first match of the day, we would like to ask each participant what they plan to wish for if they are able to win the tournament! We will ask the first half of our contestants now and the second half after our lunch break!”  
After a brief round of applause, the announcer continued. About the same time, a purple skinned Varga appeared from the doorway of Universe 1.  
“Our reporter, Den Grimme Aelling, will be out on the sidelines, finding out the dreams and desires of each contender!” He was an elderly Varga, a minor celebrity in his own universe. Walking rather slowly, he first entered the area of Universe 13, approaching Nappa.  
“Our first contestant is a Saiyan from Universe 13, Nappa. He easily defeated his opponent in the previous round, even though he was matched against a powerful warrior type Namekian!” Aelling said, his old and raspy voice still being quite good for interviews. “Now, Mr. Nappa, sir, what would you wish for if you were to win this tournament?”  
The bald Saiyan scratched his head, drawing a blank. “...Uh...” He quickly cast a glance towards Vegeta, hoping for advice. ‘What should I say?’ he wondered, having known all along that he had no hopes of winning when he couldn’t even defeat the Vegeta or Kakarotto of his own universe.  
Seeing that his interviewee was drawing a blank, Aelling quickly rephrased the question.  
“Let me rephrase the question, then. A bit of a turnaround, shall we. What would your wish be if it had to include your opponent?”  
“Oh, now that I can answer!” Nappa boasted. “I’d wish for big fluffy rabbit ears to grow right on Freeza’s head!” he laughed, sticking his hands up on his head so that his thumbs would look like two pointy ears. “Like a bunny,” he added with a smirk.  
“Hmm, a most interesting wish,” the announcer said. “And I wonder what your opponent would wish for.”  
The Frost Demon, now quite upset, and by a Saiyan he’d already killed in his own universe no less, lowered his brow angrily. “Such disrespect!” In that instant, it was as if all the frustrations he’d had from dealing with the Saiyans flooded back into his memory. Oh how glad he was that he’d annihilated them all. Still quite frustrated, Freeza didn’t even wait for the purple skinned Varga to reach him.  
“I’ve nothing to say to you. Now we’ve got a fight to get to, if you’ll be so kind as to GET OUT!”  
“Hmm...alright, as you wish,” he said casually, ignoring the threat. “Let’s see...next is a fighter from Universe 18, named Goku, who beat a fellow from universe 10 with, uh, what seemed like a burst of wind. What would your wish be, sir?”  
“Oh, me? Hmm,” Goku pondered. “I haven’t really thought about it. I’m really just here to enjoy my fights and give it my all, I don’t need to use my wish. Just the prospect of fighting some of these guys is motivation enough for me. But hey, I’ll let you know if I think of a good wish. Or maybe I’ll just give it to someone who needs it more than me.”  
Hearing this, Tapion of Universe 3 suddenly perked up. If, by some chance, Goku of Universe 18 won, he might be able to suggest his own wish for consideration.  
Many among the millions of spectators found Goku’s answer to be quite noble, and cheered for him loudly.  
“Thank you, Goku. And now, since we’re already in the space of Universe 18, I might as well ask the other three remaining contestants of this group what their wishes might be. Vegeta, of this universe, is scheduled to fight Trunks of Universe 12 today. He previously defeated his own counterpart from Universe 10. Your wish, sir?”  
“I’ve no use for my wish either,” he replied coldly. “No reward interests me. I’m here to fight.”  
Yet again, there was a roar of applause from the crowd. To them, hearing that several contestants were only there to battle and cared nothing for the grand prize only served to guarantee that the upcoming matches would be all the more amazing.  
“And you, young lady?” Aelling asked, being short enough that he didn’t need to bend over to be on eye level with Pan.  
“I...” she timidly began. “I don’t know if this is a wish or not, but I want to be worthy of my family!”  
“Ah, yes. Very good, indeed!” the announcer said. “We wish you all the best of luck. And now, on to Universe 14. # 17, your match today is against Goku. And what would your wish be?”  
“Hmm...I guess it would be a way to leave Earth. There’s nobody there anymore, it’s easy to get bored.”  
“Ah, really? A means of space travel, then? Exploration broadens the mind and expands the horizon, it’s truly wonderful! Very good, sir.” The purple Varga failed to understand that # 17 was implying he meant to find more worlds to toy with. “And next, not too far from this area, is the space of Universe 12. Trunks, it seems as though you will be fighting a version of your own father, though clearly he is from a different universe. How very interesting. And what would your wish be, might I ask?”  
“Well for me, it would have to be something used to help rebuild humanity, to reverse whatever damages to the Earth that I can.”  
“Peuf! What a sucker!” Trunks of Universe 16 scoffed, even as his counterpart from the 18th did the same. “I know what he’d really wish for...a girl!”  
The interviewing Varga, though, had already left, now returning to Universe 13. He’d intended to speak with Kakarotto, but the fighter was kneeling in a corner of their area, scratching the ground with a stone in his hand. Slightly disturbed by this scene, coupled with how the other Saiyans pointedly ignored him, the journalist acted as if nothing had happened and moved on to the 9th universe.  
“Kulilin. You defeated a much younger opponent than yourself in the first round, and will next battle Tapion. If you finish first, what would your wish be?”  
“Nothing special, my friend. I’m only here to test my limits and make new discoveries.”  
“Ah, so many great men we have here. How fortunate we are that so many of the warriors competing have a passion for battle fueled not be reward or gain.” He quickly moved on, eventually reaching the 3rd universe. “And you, Tapion, what might yours be?”  
“Long ago, I...lost...my younger brother. My wish would be to see him again.”  
“Ah. And once again, we have the hope of restoration, a fine wish indeed.” Moving to Universe 6, he then approached Bojack.  
“I wonder, sir, if you also have a noble wish?”  
Amused at the apparent ignorance of the Varga, Bojack chuckled.  
“Me? I’m the undisputed master of my universe! I have all the planets, riches, and women I could ever dream of. There’s nothing I don’t already have.”  
“Oh, I see. So then, you aren’t here for a wish either, but rather for the challenge?”  
“Ha! Ha! Yeah! To bust some skulls, more like it. But if I had to wish something, I would like to know how I got locked up for centuries and who did it. Then I’d hunt them and their descendants to the corners of the universe, if they even still exist.  
“Oh...” the purple Varga said, a little taken aback.  
What Bojack still didn’t seem to realize was that the officials here at the tournament were the Kaios. The Kaïoshins of Universe one had suspected that their subordinates, the lower Kaios, had been responsible for locking this fiend away. In their own universe, they had dealt with Bojack directly. However, the simple Kaios were not powerful enough to defeat him on their own, and had to rely on their combined magical sealing abilities. Needless to say, the Kaïoshins were quite disgusted at Bojacks boisterous wish.  
“Well, it seems we only have one last person to interview. From universe 17, the contestant that will be facing Bojack, we have Cell. Sir, your wish if you win?”  
“It is none of your concern,” the bio-android replied, not having moved in the slightest. “Just begin the tournament already.”  
Nodding, Den Grimme Aelling returned to the area of Universe 1. While he did so, the main announcer spoke again.  
“Now that we know a little bit more about our participants, we can finally begin the first match of the day!!”  
All the crowds were anxiously awaiting the announcement of the first fight, practically everyone edging forward in their seats. Nappa vs. Freeza was a battle that a great many were excited to see.  
While Nappa left the area of Universe 13, seeming to head towards the ring, Freeza continued to speak with his brother and father. Whether he was discussing strategy or his disgust for Saiyans, it didn’t matter. When Nappa suddenly called out at him, he froze.  
“Hey, cue ball!”  
The Frost Demon, recognizing the annoying Saiyan’s voice, widened his eyes. Slowly and furiously, he turned his head towards Nappa.  
“Ahah! He turns on the spot! This little guy knows when he’s called, doesn’t he?!”  
The demon’s brother, Coola, began to giggle to himself, causing Freeza even more frustration. He instantly gritted his teeth and lowered his head. If not for the rules of this tournament, he would have crushed Nappa without a moment’s hesitation. Still, summoning all the self-control he could, Freeza managed to keep himself silent.  
Nappa, however, just couldn’t leave it alone.  
“Don’t worry, I’m bald too. But, at least I’m not a midget.” The Saiyan’s grin was widening with each taunt. “Anyway, I was just coming to introduce myself, as I’m your next opponent. Plus, you happen to be my former boss...although ‘little chief’ might be more accurate.”  
A large vein began to swell on Freeza’s forehead, the tyrant cursing under his breath. He had reached his limit, the irritation having crossed the line. But Nappa, ever so casually, continued the conversation, his tone as smooth and unintimidated as always.  
“So many universes filled with Saiyans...but only one with the Frost Demons. I hope you aren’t too ashamed...”  
It was simply too much for Freeza to bare; his quota of patience had been far exceeded! “The second you enter that ring you’re going to be dead, you arrogant monkey!”  
The restraint it took to refrain from pummeling the Saiyan right then and there was unimaginable, but he knew it was only a matter of seconds until their fight began. Would that damned Varga hurry up and announce their fight already!!?  
“Dream on! You won’t even be able to touch me!” Nappa laughed, raising his hand and beckoning Freeza to try something. “You must have realized it by now, but maybe you’re just too short to have seen all the fights. Here...I’ll explain for you. Everyone here is way above your level. And I’m not talking about height,” he added with a smirk. “You won’t be able to land a single blow to anyone in this whole tournament!”  
“You insolent wretch! I’m going to make you suffer so much, even your last thought will be a desperate wish that you had just forfeited!” Freeza cried, hoping to silence his loud-mouthed foe.  
After all he had gone through, the Frost Demon was practically shivering, jumping out of his skin to tear into Nappa. He was going to cripple him first with an angry strike, then very slowly and painfully draw out his end. Before the fight was done, he would see to it that Nappa was begging him for mercy!  
“All right, ladies and gentlemen! Our first fight will now begin! I call Nappa of Universe 13 against Freeza of Universe 8!” the Varga finally announced. The cheers of the audience suddenly rang to life again, cries in favor of each warrior being screamed out from various fans.  
Nappa took off toward the ring, lifting his left fist into the air, but paused only a few meters off the ground, seizing yet another perfect opportunity.

“Oh hey, do you still have that flying chair of yours? You know, for a long time most of us thought you were a cripple!”  
Freeza, his murderous impulses no longer capable of being contained, vanished and reappeared inside the ring instantly. “You are going...to suffer!!” he yelled, breathing heavily into each word.  
Taking his time, a smirk on his lips, Nappa laxidasically made his way up to the ring. “Oh, man, you look pissed. Do I detect the little midget is throwing a temper tantrum? Well, that’s just like a little spoiled princess I guess.”  
Shaking with the boiling hatred of his full wrath, Freeza raised his voice into a roar. “TOUCH THE RING, SO I CAN END YOU, DIRTY MONKEY!”  
“Oh, dear...I’m absolutely terrified,” Nappa chuckled. “Just chill out, buddy. Ah? Chill out? See what I did there?” The Saiyan still hadn’t landed on the ring, hovering just inches above it as he teased the tyrant responsible for destroying his world. Freeza had lost all control. His fists were now clenched so tightly that it hurt. It had been years since he’d felt a rage anything near this.  
“Ground! Monkey! Get DOWN! I will...reduce you to a pulp! I will destroy you! You’ll regret ever being born!”  
It was as if Freeza lacked all clarity of thought, as if his mind was overrun with madness and murder. ‘These cursed Saiyans’ he thought. ‘If I could go back and destroy them a hundred times more, it still wouldn’t be enough!’  
Nappa seemed to hesitate for a moment, mentally preparing himself. Could he win? He didn’t think so, but that wasn’t going to stop him from winning in every other sense. And what about Freeza? Could the Frost Demon end him in an instant? Finally, readying himself to finish his plan, he ventured his feet onto the surface of the ring. Instantly, he lunged at Freeza, using his maximum speed.  
The Frost Demon, still lost in a mad rage, opened his eyes wide, shocked at the Saiyan’s speed. Before he could react, Nappa had hammered him directly in the cheek, sending him crashing to the ground.  
The bald Saiyan, backing off, put his hands on his hips and grinned. “Ah, sweet victory! How satisfying it is to put the terrible tyrant Freeza in his place!” Even though Vegeta had killed Freeza in their universe, Nappa had never been given the opportunity to exact his own personal revenge.  
Standing to his feet, Freeza exploded in anger. A jagged purple aura instantly surrounded him as he cried out in rage and shame. He had been played, manipulated, taken advantage of...and he hated it! Not to mention, Nappa was far faster and stronger than he had expected. The Saiyan’s level was at the very least comparable to the elite Ginyu commandos.  
Trying to control his anger, Freeza let his aura subside. His rage, however, remained, almost palpable in the air. Then, roaring, he lunged at Nappa.  
“And now you suffer!”  
His hour of revenge had finally come! The foolish Saiyan was all his, and now he would pay the price. Nappa’s fate was completely in his hands, a toy with which he could do as he pleased. “YAAA!!!!”  
“Oh, by the way,” Nappa interrupted hurriedly. “I give up.”  
“Wh—WHAT!!!?” Freeza cried, halting a mere meter away from his opponent.  
“If you even lay a finger on me, you’ll be disqualified,” he said, adding insult to injury.

“You...BASTARD!!!” Freeza yelled, nearly foaming at the mouth.  
“And, the victory goes to Freeza!” the announcer boomed. “Nappa of Universe 13 has forfeited.”  
Quickly, Nappa hopped out of the ring and who had helped him form his plan, stood there with a huge smirk on his face. He might have lost his match, but there was no better way to lose than that. Such a sweet reward.  
“Nice!” Raditz said, slapping a high five with the bald Saiyan. It was a landslide victory for both of them.  
Motionless, Freeza stayed in the ring for a few seconds, unable to properly process his ‘victory’. He didn’t speak, though he had the urge to scream, the desire to destroy everything. He even considered ending this ridiculous tournament. Using one of his planet busters, he could turn this whole world into a pile of rubbish set to explode! Finally, though, he managed to calm down slightly and returned to his area in silence.  
Coola and Cold, seeing his approach, neither moved nor said anything. They knew better.

“My Lord,” Butta timidly began. “Are you alright?”  
Those were his last words. Exasperated, Freeza flung his arm up towards his henchmen’s dumb-faced expression. Butta’s head exploded immediately, his body remaining upright for a few seconds before falling onto the ground just in front of a terrified Jeece.  
The Varga in charge of Universe 8 cautiously moved towards him, completely stunned. He couldn’t even speak, knowing what this monster was capable of and that if he upset him he’d likely suffer a similar fate.  
Noticing this, Freeza turned to him.  
“Come on! This is my own universe and these are MY soldiers. I am perfectly free to dispose of my own men if I so choose!”  
‘Plus,’ he thought. ‘There’s at least a small chance that I killed Ginyu just now, if he was hiding inside Butta—my only consolation in all of this.’  
Storming out of the area, Freeza stomped down the hallway. He was headed for his ship, hoping to get some much needed peace and quiet. He needed to relax, to calm himself down after all of this.  
“Ok, everyone. On with our second match then! Fighting now will be Goku of Universe 18 against # 17 from the 14th universe.”  
“What do you know,” 17 chuckled. “Looks like I’ll finally be able to rid myself of this frustrating old programming.”  
# 17 was ready. Behind him, his twin sister had appeared. She was at least going to watch this fight, to support her brother. Plus, if she needed even more motivation, it was Son Goku he was fighting, of all people.  
“Ah, finally!” Goku smiled. “My turn, and against a cyborg too! I’ve always wanted to fight one, and it was frustrating since I never got the chance. Just thinking about it gets me excited!”

Goku thought back to when he’d first heard about the two terrible cyborgs responsible for the terrible events in Trunks’ future. He’d been looking forward to facing them ever since then, but had never gotten the chance. It was all because he’d come down with a heart virus right before they appeared. #19 didn’t really matter when compared with 17 and 18, and Cell was different as well. After that, he’d died, so he never really had the chance to do a sparring match with #18. And after Buu...well, it just didn’t seem like the right time in light of everything. But today, finally, he would get revenge on that silly heart virus that had crippled him so many years ago.  
“You do realize you’re going to be disappointed,” Vegeta said, watching the other Saiyan fly into the ring excitedly.  
“Huh? Oh, well maybe. But it’ll still be fun!”  
# 17 was already waiting inside the ring, appearing quite eager. “Hmph,” he smirked, pointing to himself with his thumb. “Kill Goku, just like the programming said. Well, I do this for me; it’s got nothing to do with that old man!”  
The twins of universe 14 were cyborgs created by Dr. Gero, a brilliant scientist who was the mastermind of the Red Ribbon Army. When Goku was but a boy, he had single-handedly dismantled the Red Ribbon Army, who had wanted the Dragon Balls to take over the world. Gero had escaped their fate by chance, but Goku’s attack had destroyed the entire army and also crippled the organization, resulting in all its financial grants being revoked. His work had been delayed indefinitely. The work of a lifetime, years of hard work undone by one boy!  
He had vowed revenge and improved his androids. Their single purpose: to eliminate Goku. # 16 was extremely powerful, but after several tests, the doctor could only conclude that the mech was too peaceful to obey. It was only after he captured two twins that he considered building his mechanical enhancements onto a fully human base. They did not have the strength of # 16, but it was more than enough to kill Goku.  
However, the issue soon arose that they were difficult to control. Even brainwashing had only served to further their disrespectful natures. In the end, his hand had been forced. Overwhelmed by the situation, he had released 17 and 18—and they killed him. Still, even free of Gero’s control, the cyborgs had always clung to the desire to kill Goku, one of his programs that definitely stuck. Today, # 17 had the opportunity to fulfill that latent desire. But still, he didn’t want to accept the fact that it was Gero’s intention, the ‘creator’, a man he hated more than anything else.  
“It’s weird for me too,” Goku said to the cyborg. “We never had the chance to fight.”  
Goku leaned into his fighting stance, smiling. # 17 did the same. Both smiled. Then, they charged each other simultaneously. Their first blows were quite easy to block, a simple exchange. Landing back to back, they paused a moment longer, turning and smiling at one another. Then, taking off once more, the fight began in full force. Multiple blows thundered across the surface of the ring, each of them gradually unveiling their technique and skill. Rather quickly, # 17 managed to get the upper hand in terms of speed and strength, though only barely. Goku, seemingly amused, was able to avoid most of his opponent's attacks. A hard uppercut came smashing in, but the Saiyan dodged just above it, flipping over his opponent’s head. Goku smiled, thoroughly enjoying his fight so far. At last, he was fighting one of the androids!  
“My sister nearly lost to a mere human like Yamcha, weak as she is. But as you can see, I have no problem at all handling the great Son Goku!”  
“Hmm,” the Saiyan smiled. “So is this your real strength?”  
“Ha! Ha! Nope! I’m not even using half of my power! What about you?”  
“Same here. How about we kick it up a notch?”  
Goku instantly flashed into a Super Saiyan, which hardly phased # 17. He had already seen three of them even before the tournament. However, he was immediately surprised at the speed with which Goku flew toward him. Then, the overwhelming force of Goku’s blow struck him solid on the left cheek. Its strength was unreal, and knocked him hard to the ground. He was unconscious before he even hit the ring.  
Goku, himself surprised and let down, shook his head a little bit. “Whoops.” He hadn’t expected to beat the cyborg with a single punch, especially since he had made it a particularly delicate attack, by his standards. Vegeta had been right all along...he was quite disappointed.

“That’s thirty seconds unconscious!” the announcer said. “Which means Goku is the winner!”  
“Well, darling,” Yamcha began, sitting on the edge of Universe 14’s area. “Are you still not interested in my help?”  
# 18 was too shocked to respond. She couldn’t even look away from the ring, where her brother was being helped to his feet by a healer Namek. How could they be so weak when they had destroyed humanity? They had overcome all the resistance the Z fighters could afford, defeating Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and the Earthlings Tien, Yamcha, and Kulilin as well! Somehow, now, not only was Yamcha stronger than them, but Goku as well...and he was apparently much stronger.  
And what of Yamcha’s offer? Was there some truth behind it after all? Maybe she should actually take it into consideration.  
“Well, then? I told you that cyborg would provide you little amusement,” Vegeta said, greeting Goku upon his return.  
“Yeah...It was my fault really. Just like yesterday, I was too quick. ”  
The anticipated hour was on the horizon for the ultra-powerful creation of Bibidi, Majin Buu, to fight against the Kaioshin of the South. This confrontation had taken place in many universes, even though Majin Buu bore a different form. In Universe 1, however, this battle did not take place...

In countless universes, five million years ago...  
The powerful sorcerer Bibidi had finished his masterpiece: an absolute weapon, an indestructible creature with astonishing power ! This was the result of many decades of research, hard work, and powerful black magic.  
“I’ve made it! This unstoppable creature is perfection itself! I will rule the universe! I will rule life. I will rule death...”  
Bibidi had spent a lot of time working alone. He spoke to himself, for the most part, and to his ‘baby.’ His sinister creation was still locked inside a pink cocoon. The creature, surrounded by machines and cables, was still in gestation. But that would not be for long.  
“...I will rule the Gods!!!”  
Many universes had diverged from this precise moment. In all the universes, save for the first, fifth, and the tenth, Bibidi finished the creature named Buu. With it, he attacked the entire universe, and fought against the Gods. Through fierce and epic battles, Buu managed to eliminate two Kaioshins and absorbed two others. Bibidi had not imagined that such a thing was possible. Had he made a miscalculation? The dark sage ended up with a less ferocious creature before and after these events, and locked the monster up. When the sorcerer lowered his guard, the Kaioshin of the East, the sole survivor, managed to kill him... But he did not dare touch the giant locked pink ball that imprisoned Buu. The guardian of the universe left the orb on Earth... Until one day, he went to pursue Babidi, the son of Bibidi, millenia later. With the help of the Earthlings and Saiyans that were there, both Majin Buu and Babidi were defeated.  
In universes 1 and 10, however, things went quite differently. The Kaioshins heard the rumors about Bibidi and decided to investigate. The Kaioshins of the South and the West apparated to Bibidi’s lab, just before the latter was about to wake the djinn.  
“The gods don’t agree,” proclaimed the woman as they appeared, in response to the sorcerer’s megalomaniacal delusions.  
“...What?”  
Bibidi was surprised. The gods were never supposed to be standing in front of him, to find him, or even be aware of anything. The rulers of the universe looked around, trying to contemplate the magnitude of the disaster that could have happened... Or the disaster that could still happen, if they did not act as quickly as possible...  
“I couldn’t believe it when I was told about a terrible monster being created...” stammered the West Kaioshin, stunned. “But it’s all true!”  
Beside her, South Kaioshin’s face had become grave. His divine gaze scanned the walls and gasped as all the rumors were confirmed to be true. He found living prisoners, who had been tortured as experiment test subjects. Traces of prohibited black magic were found everywhere.  
“This thing... emits a huge energy!” added the woman, contemplating the pink cocoon, which was adorned with holes like craters found on moons with multiple meteorite impacts.  
“Good thing we got here in time...”  
“Bidu Bou Babidu Bibi!!!” cried the sorcerer, his hands pointed in the direction of the intruders.  
But the South Kaioshin simply blocked the spell with a wave and declared, “Your sourcery won’t work on the gods, scum!”  
The god rushed towards Bibidi with his hand forward. He grabbed the wizard’s neck, lifted him up and slammed violently against the wall with a large shake. If Bibidi hadn’t been surrounded by a small force field, he probably would have been knocked out.  
“Bibidi, you’ve killed hundreds for your prohibited experiments. And you’ve conspired against the gods! For this, you will die!”  
Bibidi, suffocating in the South Kaioshin’s tight grip, struggled to breath. But with a strong YURK, he managed to call for help from two of his test subjects. The creatures pounced behind West Kaioshin, who sighed resignedly. Without even turning her head, she raised a fist and punched the first creature in the face. She spun and fired a wave of energy, which incinerated the top of the second creature. Both of the former test subjects fell to the ground, inert.  
The female Kaioshin knelt beside one of them to examine the evidence, and quickly concluded, “These Glaviots were altered... and brainwashed.”  
Compared to the immeasurable power of the Kaioshin, these creatures were nothing. However, the Glaviots’ power levels were much higher than those of their peers. These predators--usually lived on a star-less planet, wandering in complete darkness--had become slaves to Bibidi, who controlled their thoughts. Somehow, the wizard had also artificially enhanced their strength as well.  
The other god was kneeling too; Bibidi laid on the ground, gasping desperately.  
The Kaioshin of the West clenched her fists and conjured a protective aura around her. She sensed that her partner was preparing to use a devastating technique.  
“Annihilation!” he cried.  
Bibidi desperately tried to invoke a powerful protective spell, but it was too late. The laboratory exploded completely, annihilating Bibidi and the cocoon. Everything on the planet within a 10 kilometer radius was utterly destroyed.  
“Good job,” the woman Kaioshin congratulated her friend. “The thing in this cocoon could have become really dangerous.” Without further ado, they teleported back to the realm of the gods. They prepared a report for the Grand Kaioshin, who took a solemn decision.  
“This event is proof that we must check on any hint of danger in the universe. We shall continue to intervene on situations like this!”  
This decision surprised all the other Kaioshin... They had accomplished the mission successfully, had they not? This new way of managing the universe, through immersing themselves in ‘petty mortal affairs,’ would radically change the destiny of the universe.  
Over one million years ago, they securely closed off the portal to the Demon Dimension, the most famous portal in the universe. The mission was successfully accomplished through the combined efforts of North, West, and East Kaioshins. The latter was a young novice who was still learning the ropes by observing his colleagues. The Kaioshin of the South, though he was physically the strongest, was not good with this sort of magical dimension manipulation; and as such, his presence was unnecessary.  
Seven thousand years before the Multiverse Tournament, the Kaioshin stopped an army of evil. Alerted by a hero named Mijorin, the South Kaioshin led the forces of good to victory. In all other universes, Mijorin--a hero on his world and a highly trained fighter--had defeated the army at the cost of his own life. He thus earned a spot in the Otherworld with the honor of a physical body, as Goku did when he died against Raditz and Cell. For South Kaioshin, the conquering army was anything but impressive. Since he was significantly stronger than Mijorin, the former was able to take care of himself. Nevertheless, Mijorin was a proud Wolf Warrior who fought according to the rules of honor; he would never let the deity fight alone. Within hours, the malefic army was defeated by their deadly alliance.  
Three thousand four hundred years later, a meteorite was headed straight towards a heavily-populated planet; it was a disaster that its citizens could not fight alone. In other universes, a hero named Sarta managed to deflect the meteor and save his people by sacrificing his life as well. Like Mijorin, he had earned the right to a physical body in heaven. In Universe 1, however, upon hearing a call for help, the Grand Kaioshin intervened to come to their aid. With his powers, the meteor was deflected and was turned into a moon for the planet. Through this, every night, the citizens of the planet would remember the night they had been saved by the Gods.  
Four hundred and twenty five years ago, the Kaioshins foiled the plans of sect of wizards on the planet Konatz, who had planned to create a powerful demon called Hildegarn. The deities had noticed the oddly powerful concentration of dark magic and sensed the danger. Potentially, this monster could have had the same level of danger as Bibidi’s Majin Buu. They took care of the resisting sorcerers, reluctantly eliminating one hundred of them. Some of the wizards had survived the onslaught, but their numbers were too small and weak to awaken the evil creature.  
In the year -242, on Planet Plant, they fought a grueling battle against the Legendary Super Saiyan, a being who was literally invincible. On the physical level, even the Kaioshin of the South was outclassed. The Gods finally managed to neutralize the threat by sending him into a sun. The saiyan warrior lost the powers of his transformation as he reverted to his normal form and died on the spot. The indigenous species of the planet, the primitive Saiyans and the surprised Tsufuls, had met the Kaioshins for the first (and last) time.  
In the year 507, on the planet Zoltan-4, they eliminated the Bojack Gang. With his band of pirates, Bojack was not a threat that was effecting the entire universe, but when he started shaving entire continents because his coffee was not sweet enough (or too sweet), the murderous tyrant had caught the eyes of the gods. After several years and two warnings, the Kaioshins determined the obvious conclusion: Bojack was a threat. In Universes 1 and 10, South Kaioshin fought the pirate. He was not only the god’s most terrible adversary, but also his strongest. Bojack’s powerful henchmen valiantly fought the other Kaioshins, but were also defeated. Thus, the Bojack Gang’s reign of terror was brought to an end. In the other universes, where only the novice East Kaioshin and Kibito remained, the simple Kaiohs had to fend for themselves. Far from being as powerful as the Kaioshins, they had hoped overcome the threat by force. Combining their powerful magic, they managed to seal the tyrant... Until his release in some universes, where North Kaioh died with Goku when Cell had blown up the former’s planet.  
In the year 712 on Planet Cold 32, they ended the Frost Demons’ line of descent: Cold, Coola, and Freeza. Historically, this super-powerful race created a reign of terror in the universe. The Gods had been troubled by the violence that these demons had committed for generations. However, they remained very respectful of life, and thus refrained from eliminating the entire species. Instead, the Kaioshin decided to establish boundaries to limit their numbers, taking advantage of the era in which there was only family of demons. The ruling declared that no more than two children could exist per family. The demons, however, had not passed this information down from generation to generation, too full of themselves and feeling untouchable. Thousands of years ago, the Patriarch Blizzard had four children, and the Grand Kaioh had to punish him to reinforce the rule. After various events, naught remained of the species but King Cold and his two children. Regardless, the Kaioshin had made the obvious decision: this powerful species, capable of conquering nature, could only create more problems. Following a serious incident, the Kaioshins dispatched to terminate them.  
In the year 737 on Planet Vegeta, they sought to kill the Legendary Super Saiyan once again, while he was still an infant (despite the pleadings of his father Paragus). The latter was still recovering from his wounds, which had been inflicted by King Vegeta, and had been formulating a plot to escape while he was supposed to die in a pit with his son. To his surprise, an unknown being arrived, killing the baby before his very eyes. The Kaioshin of the West was sad to do such a thing, and cried because she knew the baby was innocent; however, she was also aware that it could easily become a threat to the entire universe. After all, the role of the Gods was to preserve peace for the good of all.  
Universes 1 and 10 did not get in any danger thanks to the Kaioshins’ work. At some point, these two universes became different. Then, in Universe 1, the Vargas discovered the technology to move from one parallel universe to another, and with the help of the gods, organized a huge tournament. In the year 793, on the Planet Varga, the gods created an inter-universal regulation.  
This regulation allowed the South Kaioshin, the strongest of the five, to participate. Nobody had ever beaten him, and his worst enemy was Bojack. Now he was set to face Majin Buu, the mercenary of Bibidi’s son Babidi... The Kaioshin of the South saw it as the return of the past, the manifestation of what would have happened, had they not intervened. The confrontation that should have occurred... The one that took place in so many other universes...  
But he was ready.  
“Well, the fights seem to by flying along at breakneck speed. It’s my turn already,” the south Kaioshin said with a smile.  
He raised his eyes up to the large floating sphere above him, already starting to leave the area for universe 1. Behind him, the Grand Kaioshin lifted his hand and offered one last bit of advice. “Wait.”  
Just as he spoke, the Varga announcer’s voice rang through the speakers. “The next match will feature South Kaioshin of Universe 1 and Majin Buu of Universe 11!”  
“Have you taken into account everything we learned about Buu last night?” the Grand Kaioshin asked his friend.  
The crowds cheered loudly as the fighter responded.  
“Yes,” he replied, not turning to look back at the Grand Kaioshin. Staring silently up at the ring, a serene confidence in the air about him, he recalled quite clearly everything the spectator from Universe 16 had told them the night before.  
“Perfect... Be careful,” the other Kaioshin replied.  
The fighter looked over to his friend finally, nodding before he flew off. The second his foot touched the ring, staring face to face with that monster, he could see with his own eyes just what had been done. For half an instant, it almost felt like he was standing before the Grand Kaioshin himself. The resemblance was striking, undeniable. Majin Buu looked both pudgy and friendly, having clearly absorbed the Grand Kaioshin himself—Universe 11 being one of several in which this was the case. His form now was a twisted mutation of the evil djinn and the Chief of all Kaioshins.  
‘I know exactly what to do,’ he thought silently.  
Standing in front of the Universe 1 fighter, Buu smiled, his yellow gloves resting casually on his wide hips. Under the facade of a lowly appearance he was hiding immense strength. Of course, the South Kaioshin was well aware of the magnitude of his foe’s power, and was completely prepared. Clutching his fists, the Kai unleashed all his strength in a wave of power around him. A jagged aura quickly enveloped him, causing parts of the ring to crumble and rise into the air. Even as he focused all of his energy, the god could only ponder his situation.  
‘Five million years ago, in certain universes, this terrifyingly fowl creature was given life...Buu!’  
“He He!” the djinn laughed gleefully as his cape stretched out behind him from the wind. “Super! This is fun!”  
The warrior of universe one lunged at his opponent, his left fist clenched, his right arm extended out in front of him. Yet Buu simply waited, not bothering even to dodge. The god’s left fist pierced the face of the creature, which surprisingly stretched all the way through the back of his head. Buu hadn’t even tried to defend, and still didn’t. South Kaioshin repeatedly jabbed the monster in the stomach and head, continuing the flurry of his attacks until Buu was sufficiently pummeled. Each blow left a dent in the djinn’s pink form, until one powerful blow finally sent him tumbling over backwards, crashing headfirst into the ground. But he rose quickly, smiling as his body seemed to pop back into its normal state without the slightest sign of damage.  
The god next flung a series of energy spheres at the monster, each exploding on contact and blowing Buu’s body apart. But the creature’s unaffected form reconstructed each time effortlessly, as if the djinn wasn’t even trying. Refocusing his energy once more, the South Kai rushed in for the attack. This time, he came at Buu with more speed, strength, and aggressiveness. With his more tactical approach, the djinn was left completely unable to defend himself. Each attack left him disfigured, each clash warped his body more than the one before. Despite Buu’s healing, the god continued fighting in melee, his specialty for millennia now. As they watched on, the warriors of Universe 18 were quite impressed. The gap between this kaioshin and the Eastern one they all knew was enormous.  
Continuing his assault, the Kai unleashed attack after devastating attack, causing Buu to bounce through the ring like a rubber ball. The djinn even vaulted off the energy shield protecting the audience several times, his body being flung through the air like a wrecking ball. Before long, though, Buu began his own assault, proving that he was completely capable of matching the god with his own well placed punches and energy attacks. Fortunately, the Kaioshin managed to avoid most of the blows.  
Smiling, the South Kai realized how much he was enjoying this. Until now, the most difficult opponent he’d ever faced had been Bojack. But Buu was vastly superior, a huge gulf being between them in power. The challenge was refreshing, though he quickly reset his mind on accomplishing the task at hand. It was time to put an end to things.  
The god landed back on the ring with a light TAC, followed by the djinn, who was expecting another attack. South Kai, however, merely paused as if he were in thought.  
‘We destroyed him before he was even born, but many of the other realms were not spared from his rampage. Hundreds of planets were obliterated, millions of species eradicated... He even attacked the Kaïoshins. I was the only one strong enough to challenge him, such that it finally triggered a dormant defense mechanism within him...absorption.’  
Buu interrupted his thoughts with a right hook, but the god side-stepped to avoid it. But the djinn’s next attack was too quick. A fast knee to the Kai’s gut and then a kick under the chin sent him flying several meters. Recovering, he rubbed his jaw as he continued to ponder.  
‘When Buu realizes the threat as legitimate, he automatically tries to absorb it. When successful, he gain the strength of the individual, but not only that. Everything from intelligence and feelings to the inner longings of the soul are implanted. Thus, when I was absorbed in other universes, the instinctively wild creature was transformed into an educated athlete. He gained clear speech and concise thought as simply as that, yet all the while the evil within him remained. It was then that our own Grand Master Kaioshin decided to sacrifice himself. He alone realized the true depth of influence Buu received from each absorption...that which we can all confirm by observing Buu of Universe 4.’  
The god rushed Buu once again, still waiting in the ring. As his punch rolled towards the creature, Buu side-stepped right out of the way, just as the god had done. Skidding to a halt, South Kaioshin raised his defenses immediately, prepared for the next blow.  
‘The Grand Kaioshin gave himself up for absorption. And at the last moment, he crippled himself, effectively destroying his own mind—all for the sake of the greater good.’  
Spreading his cheeks apart, Buu lauded, making faces at the Kai, sticking his tongue out.  
‘The terrible Majin Buu was reduced to a mere child, pure and innocent, playful and silly.’  
South Kaioshin attacked again, but this time Buu anticipated, vanishing just before the blow. Reappearing only three meters behind him, the djinn began charged up a powerful energy attack. There was no time to counter it, as all the god could do was cross his hands over his face in defense. The ki blast slammed into him forcefully, pushing him back across the ring several meters. But in the end he was able to endure, the remaining energy firing up at the top of the arena—it barely missed, zipping out into space where it grazed one of the Varga’s artificial satellites, the round spheres hovering dangerously above the battlefield.  
The god was still alive though, down on one knee. His elegant outfit had been torn to shreds, damaged for the first time ever. Even his chest and arms had burns, though only slight. Despite the wounds, he still had plenty of strength left in reserve.  
‘And strangely enough, it actually worked. All you needed was a loving family, to be surrounded by good-hearted people...like the ones you found on Earth.’  
“Ah!” Buu said pleasantly, a wide grin on his face. “Buu have fun fight with you! You keep fight Buu?”  
The Kai almost felt bad for the creature. ‘If not for your wicked masters, the filthy sorcerers who taught you only to destroy, you might have actually found peace.’ He paused, realizing how it was time. “This is an incredible fight, but I realize that this creature’s regeneration will outlast me in the long run,” he said, standing back to his feet.  
His white aura appeared around him again, his teeth clenched. A powerful orb of Ki formed just in front of his hands, his thumbs and pink fingers turned down. His palms facing Buu, his other fingers bent, the god poured all of his strength into the attack.  
‘In your universe, I probably used this attack as a last resort! My strongest attack, the blast that was certain to trigger my own demise!’  
The perfectly white ball of energy, crackling with blue flashes of energy seemed to expand suddenly. Then, strangely, as if something in Buu’s subconscious recalled the attack from before, the djinn began to sweat. His eyes widened in nervousness as he recognized the attack, recalled the feeling of distress. Clenching his teeth in fear, Fat Buu remembered.  
In his own universe, he’d only partially avoided the attack. A huge chunk of his body had been completely disintegrated, and his regeneration was suddenly much slower.  
Observing the beautiful concentration of energy, Goku of Universe 18 turned to Piccolo. “Say, the intense concentration of that attack reminds me a lot of your Makankosappo.”  
Elsewhere, Buu of Universe 4, lifted his chin. “Oooh, that’s a dirty move. It certainly left me with some bad memories.”  
“It’s fear that triggers the absorption. It’s clearly a defense mechanism, a reflex!” the South Kaioshin concluded.  
Buu screamed, focusing his Ki and summoning his aura. From his intensity, his cape seemed to nearly fly off. But nothing could stop it as the god launched his attack, which cut through the very ring itself as it stared down the monster. Just before impact, the djinn seemed to explode into a myriad of pink blobs. Unchallenged, the beam ripped through the pink pieces. Yet the globs of Buu seemed to regroup, charging all at once towards the Kaioshin. Not resisting, the god only smiled as the gobs of pink seemed to glue themselves to his skin.  
“Well, that worked like a charm!”  
When enough blobs of Buu had regrouped, forming a massive pink sheet, they completely enveloped the god. Unbeknownst to the monster, at the last second the Kaioshin had activated an energy barrier, the same type that Vegetto had used nearly twenty years ago.  
The audience watched in shock as the blob reformed gradually, back into the form of Majin Buu, who seemed completely breathless.  
“He absorbed him!” Son Goten of Universe 16 gasped.  
“Yeah, very clever!” Trunks added. “That’s how he always stays the strongest...well done indeed.”  
To his side, Vegetto was his typical confident self, not surprised in the least. He had immediately realized the South Kaioshin had a plan, which he double checked by turning towards Gohan.  
“So what exactly did you tell the Kaioshins last night?” he asked.  
“Everything. Majin Buu, his absorptions, Cell, Broly, Freeza, Vegeta...you. They have a right to know.”  
“So, you told them about me to, huh? I see...” Vegetto added.  
Within the innards of Buu, South Kaioshin flew to and fro searching for the cocoons. Gohan had explained that when Majin Buu absorbed someone, it was possible to find their body and free them. But the god from Universe 1 could find nothing, no signs of anyone.  
“Nothing at all...nowhere! Not even a hint of the cocoons he described!”  
Most of all, he wanted to find the Grand Kaioshin and his own counterpart, but there was absolutely so sign of them.  
“Strangely enough, I can sense the presence of Kaioshin energy. Only, it seems to be emanating from Buu himself now. That must mean, that there comes a point when Buu fully absorbs someone, that it’s too late to rescue them. After all, this was five million years ago, while in Universe 16 it had only been minutes, hours.  
The god had clearly been both hopeful and excited about releasing the Kaioshins from another universe...though it was a great idea, it wasn’t going to pan out now. It seemed now that his trip into the djinn’s body was all for nothing.  
“Oh well,” he said, looking around for a way out.  
Outside the ring, the Varga organizers looked around anxiously, expecting the Kaioshin’s return. But they knew the rules nonetheless.  
“If the Kaioshin does not reappear within the next ten seconds, it will mean victory for Majin Buu!”  
Gohan, however, was perplexed. “But wait...shouldn’t Buu have transformed into a muscular brute?”  
“You seem to know a lot, son,” Goku said, turning to him.  
“Well, Kibitoshin explained everything to me quite thoroughly. At the time, it seemed very important to know as much about Buu as I possibly could. Even now, a part of Buu still lives with us in Uub.  
“Hmm,” the Saiyan nodded. “I guess it just never interested me. I always figured that if he showed back up, we’d just have to work together really hard like before and we’d beat him.”  
“Well, fighting is what you live for, Dad,” Gohan said. “For me, I only fight when I must. I’m sure you understand.”  
“Whatever you say, son,” the hero of Earth said with a grin.  
Alone in the area of Universe 4, Buu smiled as well. As he waited patiently, his arms crossed while the clock ticked down, he seemed to offer his counterpart advice.  
“Don’t try too hard to absorb him, Buu. He’s using a shield inside of you, there’s nothing you can do.”  
Babidi of Universe 11, though, seemed quite angry. “Why do I get the nasty feeling that I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on around here!?” Though his heart pounded rapidly, he hoped that whatever happened his protégé would emerge victorious.  
“Time elapsed!” the announcer boomed. “Victory goes to Majin Buu!!”  
“Huh?” the djinn asked. “Buu no understand. Why win no fight?” Forgetting his question quickly, the happy creature flew off towards the area of Universe 11 once again.  
While many in the audience were still wondering what had happened to South Kaioshin, the evil wizard Babidi was busy complimenting his pet.  
“Well done, my Buu!” his shrill voice licked slyly.  
“Can Buu have candy now?” the childish creature asked with an enormous grin.  
The sorcerer smiled back, feeling that a reward of some kind was more than appropriate—candy would be just the thing. Suddenly, the wizard noticed a small figure appear from out of the ports on top of Buu’s head. Almost like a tiny insect, the beedy speck flew, leaving a nearly invisible trail of white energy behind him. Then, all of a sudden, the small dot expanded exponentially, forming into the recognizable form of South Kaioshin.  
‘What! Where did he come from?’ Babidi mumbled to himself, feeling his heart quicken.  
Now fully restored to his proper proportions, the god turned and began to leave. “Never mind me, I’m just passing through.” A second later, though, he paused, turning to Dabra.  
“By the way, since i’m here...Dabra... Just how did you come to be in this dimension? I thought you swore to never leave the demon realm. What difference led you to forsake your oath in this universe, I wonder?”  
Impassioned, the demon replied with confidence. “My beloved kingdom is nothing compared to following the will of my master Babidi.”  
The Kaioshin seemed to think for a few seconds, then turned to leave.  
In Universe 1, as in many others, Dabra was the ruler of the demon realm. Within his kingdom he was both feared and loved, being the most powerful. Before the gods had sealed off the dimension of demons, the South Kaioshin had spoken with him. The Dabra of Universe 1 had been adamant, though. Once, had he left his kingdom, curious to explore what existed in the outside world. But he had done so one time only. Therefore, the Demon King was no real problem. Sure, he had considered conquering the universe. But there were so many planets, each more remote than the next—the appeal lessened as he considered how ugly they each were. It would have been a tremendous amount of work, all for something he liked far less than his own kingdom.  
But his presence within Universe 11 was definitive proof that Dabra had indeed emerged from the demon realm. Had he been within his own kingdom, the Vargas would never have been able to detect him. And even if they had, the Lord of Demons would have surely refused participation in their tournament—after all, he had nothing to prove. He was the strongest within his own kingdom, and that wasn’t going to change so long as he was there to keep everyone in line. Ruling other realms, other peoples, other worlds...he simply wasn’t interested.  
The god, however, had noticed a strange brand on Dabra’s head in the shape of an M—the same logo that appeared on Buu’s belt. Babidi had managed to accomplish quite the feat. Somehow, he had not only succeeded in removing Dabra from his own kingdom, but he’d also gained complete control over him...it was the only logical explanation. He now had a terribly powerful henchman at his side. Taking into account the addition of Buu, the fact that Babidi and his cronies reigned supreme in their universe wasn’t surprising at all.  
Finished observing, South Kaioshin finally returned to the area of Universe 1. Naturally, the other gods greeted him, immediately asking about the details of his disappearance into Buu. As he materialized a new set of clothes to replace his torn ones, South Kai began to tell them about his little adventure and what news his investigation had yielded. Quite interested himself, Gohan of Universe 16 made his way over to join them.  
“There was nothing,” the god said. “I could sense their energy within Buu, but they were too far gone.”  
“Oh...”  
“I didn’t sense any other souls in there either.”  
“So it’s possible that this Buu has yet to absorb anyone besides the Kaioshins...”  
Everyone in Universe 1 slowly turned towards Buu of Universe 4, eyeing him cautiously.  
“That one, on the other hand,” Gohan said, pointing over his shoulder. “He’s even boasted to us that he absorbed anything and everything in his universe with even a minimal power...”  
“So, in his body, we would be able to find all of these lost souls...” the East Kaioshin pondered aloud.  
“Shouldn’t we try to free them? the Kaioshin of the West asked.  
“Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions of people...they are all trapped inside,” Gohan said soberly.  
Suddenly, the djinn of Universe 4 himself turned his head and began walking towards them. Had he picked up on the conversation? To be honest, it would be foolish to assume otherwise. Gohan stood there confident with the rest of the Kaiôshins. Nearing them, Buu smiled wryly, not a worry on his face.  
“There are at least that many,” he said, smirking. “Of course, I heard everything. But who I’ve absorbed over the years and how to release them, if that’s even possible, is no business of yours.”  
“Buu! You’re nothing but a cruel master, enslaving all those people inside of you like prisoners!” Gohan remarked.  
“Wrong,” Buu laughed. “You know nothing of how I absorb, or rather of how each soul came to me. In most cases, they even consented to it!”  
“Consented?” Gohan replied angrily. “Don’t take us for fools, Buu. You’ve never absorbed a single person by their own consent!”  
“Perhaps in your own universe...but mine?” the djinn chuckled, turning back to the Kaiôshins.  
“Their thoughts are now a part of me. Their essence isn’t destroyed or imprisoned. Rather, it’s sublimated...”  
“How can you claim to integrate them when they lose their own conscience?” the East Kaioshin interrupted.  
“I just told you. They aren’t prisoners. Many come voluntarily, knowingly, in order to transcend. You’re just so blinded by your own restricted view of the universe, so stubborn you can’t see the beauty of what I offer. My vision is grander, more expansive, limitless! For example, an artist that came to me could create a work of beauty like no other—his art would stand above anything that has ever been done or that ever will be attempted again.  
“And I’m certain that’s your only reason, too,” the Kai said sarcastically.  
“What is it that you want? To debate with me about free will? Fine, let me give you another example then. Several years ago, I actually refused to absorb someone who, himself, requested it of me. Why, you might ask? For love.”  
“Love? You think YOU know anything about love!!” Gohan angrily roared, thinking back to his little brother. The horror Goten had experienced when he’d seen their mother killed before his own eyes...the grief. Buu knew nothing of love!  
“A woman was in love with him. She pleaded with me not to absorb him, and I chose to respect her request. But by refusing to absorb him, I acted against his own free will. Was I wrong then, by your perfect moral standard? I leave you gods decide for yourselves.”  
Gohan wasn’t buying it though...and it was clear that the gods beside him weren’t either. On the other hand, there was really no way of knowing whether the story was true or false. Plus, while some things were constant from universe to universe, others differed. Was their involvement truly necessary? Was it their duty to release the captive souls from Buu, even the ones that would prefer not to be freed? This wasn’t even their own universe they were talking about.  
“I’m not the Buu you knew, Gohan,” the djinn said, looking directly into the half-Saiyan’s eyes. “You realize that you are a part of me, though at the time I wasn’t able to offer you with the choice to join me. Nevertheless, the Gohan in me is quite content. Speaking of which...I recall that around the time you were absorbed, you’d been quite interested in the theory of cold fusion. Have you made any progress on it since then?”  
“I’m doing my thesis on it, yes, and have been quite successful at advancing the theory...”  
Buu only smiled. “Is that all? I completed it years ago.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“It’s done, settled,” Buu said again. “I created the designs, did the research. I built cold fusion plants to test out my theories. It works quite well, and all of that took me nothing but a few weeks. Whereas, for you, it’s been years and you’re still working on the formulas behind it all. How much longer will it take you? The rest of your life, most likely?”  
Gohan was speechless for a moment as Buu finally turned and left for his own area once again. Finally, the Varga announcer once again began to speak.  
“The next bout was scheduled to be Uub of Universe 18 gainst Nail of Universe 10!” the voice rang out over the speakers. “But due to the forfeit of Universe 10, Uub wins by default.”  
“My next opponent... He's the one whom I inherited my strength from,” Uub whispered over to his master. He knew Majin Buu was a formidable opponent. In fact, even the thought of facing him was a little intimidating, hence his question to Goku.  
“Master...do I have a chance against him?”  
“Of course!” Goku replied with an immediate smile. “With a well-managed Kaioken, you’re perfectly at his level.”  
Perhaps it was true. Uub looked down at his own hands, as if he was judging his own strength. Yes, perhaps he did have the same level of power...but Majin Buu was a magical creature—he was practically invincible. How could he possibly overcome that? Even if he had the strength, he didn’t have the regeneration.  
Still, Uub was glad that he wouldn’t have to face Buu of Universe 4, though the one of Universe 11 was no less formidable in his own mind. He recalled his three matches against the Buu of his own universe, the friend and companion of Mr. Satan. In fact, he hoped that the Majin Buu of Universe 11 was exactly like the one he knew.  
Seven years ago...  
Uub was thirteen. For three years he had trained his body all around the world, following the strict regiment of Goku himself. His strength had vastly improved, though his technique was still lacking. Goku, however, still pushed him to confront Buu. Of course, the Saiyan had already explained that the djinn had been the source of his power. That day, Goku, Uub, Buu, and even Mr. Satan met out in a desert wasteland, the perfect place to handle such a battle. Uub and Buu faced each other, a dozen meters between them. Satan encouraged Buu, cheering the happy djinn on as his favorite. Goku suggested that Uub make a quick assault, starting with his full strength. Then, they began.  
At first, Uub was reluctant, even fearful. But he found his courage, knowing that this was not a fight to the death, and the only people watching were his master and the aging Mr. Satan. So, clenching his fists, he went full out from the start. Screaming, he dashed towards Buu, who waited for him completely motionless, smiling. At the last moment, Uub jumped and kicked his right foot into Buu’s belly.  
His leg sank into the pink djinn’s body up to the knee, before a staggering force ejected it. Had Buu done nothing but tighten his abs? He had failed to make any dent in Buu, as the creature simply reassumed its original shape. Plus, he had little time for reflection. Being hurled backwards both far and fast, Uub smashed through two enormous rock formations, cutting a deep trail into the ground as he skidded. The simple flick of Buu’s belly left him beaten, bloodied, and unconscious for two whole days. It had been a dismal failure!  
Two years later, the pair finally had a rematch. This time, though, Uub had learned how to fly. When he found himself being hurled backwards, he could slow himself and recover. His strength had increased as well, but the major difference this time was his technique! Again, the only audience was Goku and Satan, as they fought in the exact same location as before. Buu smiled widely as he prepared for the fight. How could someone who looked so friendly and innocent be the most dangerous creature in the universe? It was a difficult thing for Uub to accept. It was just as absurd as if someone tried to tell him Piccolo had once tried to rule the world. Of course, later he would find out that the Namekian had indeed tried...  
Uub and Buu faced off for the second time. It was not only his increased strength, but also a new technique, which benefited him so much: the Kaioken. Without delay, the teenager activated the move. A crimson aura enveloped him, his muscles tightening and thickening, his veins swelling to support the increased blood flow throughout the body.  
He was only able to control the technique up to the very first stage, which multiplies strength by two for a short time. But knowing his opening was short, Uub attacked immediately. He struck Buu with his left fist, the impact making solid contact with his body. He quickly followed with a kick in the stomach, only this time he was prepared. As Buu recovered, popping his belly back out, Uub was able to sweep the djinn’s legs from underneath him. Buu tumbled over, the young fighter quickly stomping at Buu, who bounced a small ways before making a mid-air recovery. The dark-skinned youngster jumped up to strike with his fist again, but Buu countered and sent Uub plummeting into the dirt below. After impact, the red aura disappeared from his body as he painfully made his way back onto his feet. The blow he’d received was quite serious, but thanks the the Kaioken he had managed to endure it. Otherwise, he’d have been knocked out cold.  
The boy looked up at Buu, who was making a series of silly victory poses, raising his yellow-gloved hands above his head and cheering for himself. The creature had no sign of damage from any of Uub’s blows. Already exhausted, Goku’s pupil decided to forfeit. Dejected, the young man turned to walk away from the others in shame. But both Goku and Mr. Satan chased him down, using the opportunity to teach a valuable lesson: never give up no matter what! Together, they managed to cheer him back up, giving him the motivation to continue training.  
It was two years later that they had their third and final confrontation, Uub now being seventeen. He had grown tremendously and had a much better mastery of the Kaioken now—he could even use it intermittently, as Goku once did against Frieza. This time, Uub was resolved to not give up after just one blow. He hoped not only to hold his own, but perhaps even to win.  
According to Goku, Uub, with his strongest Kaioken powerup, was now close to the level of Majin Vegeta when he had faced Buu as a Super Saiyan 2. Of course, it hadn’t been enough for the prince to win, but overall he had put up a darn good fight. This time, Uub did seemingly just as well, not having enough strength to win, but not doing bad at all. At full power, he even managed to dodge several of the djinn’s blows. Plus, each of his own attacks sent the creature flying, even if they didn’t leave any permanent damage on his pink body.  
But Uub tired easily, the beating he received exhausting him within a few short minutes. In a fight to the death, he’d have been killed. Buu was nice, though, and did exactly as he was told—which was to fight, but be gentle. It was a good test of his pupil’s motivation.  
After several long minutes of fighting, Uub was too wounded to continue. His strength was at an end, but the student had been so determined this time to impress his master.   
Stumbling back to his feet after brushing off Buu’s last attack, he clenched his fists and opened his eyes. This was trouble, but it wasn’t going to matter in the end. He just wanted to use all his reserves in one final all-out attack.  
“Ka me ha me—!”  
Uub had quickly pulled his hands over at his side, yelling while he formed his Ki into an energy beam. Between his palms, a small ball of light had appeared. Then, thrusting his arms up at his opponent, he yelled:  
“HAAAA!!!!!”  
The energy blast soared across the hundred yard gap between the two combatants. Buu met the attack with one hand outstretched, and countered, only being knocked a few steps backward. However, concentrating his ki one last time, Uub screamed even louder.  
“Kaioken...times twenty!!!”   
Goku’s eyes widened in surprise, as he had not yet seen Uub achieve this level yet. He, himself, recalled pushing the technique beyond its capacity against Vegeta so long ago. All Uub’s muscles tripled in size! The surge of energy warped his body as it tried to contain all of that power, a force that crushed Buu’s hand then ripped through his stomach, exploding violently upon impact.  
When the brightness of the detonation finally subsided, Goku turned back to his pupil. Uub was lying motionless on the ground. Rushing over, Goku lifted the boy up onto his own shoulder, realizing how low his life force was. He really had given everything in that last attack, nearly to the point of risking his own life. Smiling, Goku lifted two fingers to his head and teleported to Karin’s to get his pupil a Senzu.  
Back when he was seventeen, Uub had not yet mastered Kaioken times twenty...but by now that had changed. He was in great shape, and completely prepared to fight Majin Buu of Universe 11 in the next round.  
Even as Uub continued imagining his next bout, scheduled against Buu of Universe 11, the Varga announcer called the next two fighters into the ring.  
“And now, continuing with the tournament, the next match is Trunks of Universe 12 battling against Vegeta of Universe 18!”  
Trunks pulled his right arm out of his blue denim Capsule Corp jacket, readying himself for battle, when he noticed his father walking up. Seeing this, the announcer merely continued adding color commentary.  
“The warrior Trunks from Universe 12 offered us a spectacular match in the first round against Coola, whom he dominated completely from start to finish. Likewise, our participant from Universe 18 fought a counterpart of himself from Universe 10. Despite his opponent’s surprising transformation into a giant ape, Vegeta handled him easily. I’m certain they’ll both give us a stupendous match!”  
The audience was ecstatic. Down below them, Trunks had taken his sword and jacket off, only to be stopped by Vegeta.  
“No, you should keep your sword. You’ll need all the help you can get,” the prince said, his arms crossed. ‘And perhaps give me at least a minimal challenge,’ he thought.  
“Alright, sure,” Trunks said with a smile, putting the strap carrying his sword back over his head.  
“I doubt you’ve trained as much as I have,” his father added, clarifying why he’d encouraged the usage of the blade in their fight.  
“Well, I have been busy...but I’ve improved.”  
The two lifted into the air in unison, headed towards the ring. As they flew, Vegeta continued, his arms crossed.  
“I certainly hope so. I don’t mind holding back, but only by so much.”  
“Don’t worry too much, father. I think I’ll still surprise you.”  
Together, they landed on the ring, each hopping away from the other and then turning. Trunks was quite pleased with the pairing, though. He knew that when it came to Vegeta, proving himself was more about fighting than about talking. While his father certainly seemed glad to see him, exchanging pleasantries really wasn’t his thing. Vegeta immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan 2.  
“Can you at least do this?”  
“Sorry,” his son said, turning into an ordinary Super Saiyan. “No.”  
“Disappointing.”  
He had hoped that his son would have reached level 2, even if he’d only had ten years to train. But the half-Saiyan had been rebuilding the Earth, and wasn’t able to spend all his time working out. Even so, Trunks’ base strength was very close to what Gohan’s had been when he turned into a Super Saiyan 2.  
‘Ten years should have been enough to reach the next level,’ Vegeta mumbled inwardly. ‘So what to do?’  
He momentarily considered going down a level in order to give his son a fair fight, but quickly ruled it out. He was already holding back enough, any more and it would be an insult. His son’s answer, however, surprised him.  
“Well, come and teach me then,” Trunks taunted with a smile, ready to fight.  
It was clear that the young man was eager to test out the strength he’d gained in recent years. And his father had even allowed him to keep his sword to boot! Of course, even from the beginning, he knew already that the chance of him actually winning was small or nonexistent. He had already noticed Gohan’s new strength, and was certain that his father wasn’t using his full power yet either. Plus, he’d seen both Goku and Vegetto perform an astonishing new transformation with long hair... For sure Vegeta was also capable of much more than what he was showing.  
The Saiyan prince rushed at his son through the air, beginning the battle. He’d already suppressed himself to the lowest possible level of a Super Saiyan 2, but even so it was well above the strength of a normal Super Saiyan—as would be the case with any normal Super Saiyan 2. But even as Vegeta reared back for his first strike, Trunks made no attempt to dodge. Yet even so, his father could see that same confident smirk on his face. The youth was prepared for the attack, clearly, but what did he have planned?  
Vegeta threw his right fist forward, but in a stunning move his son turned slightly and managed to grab the prince’s wrist. Such a thing normally would have been pointless because of the strength gap between them—Vegeta would have been able to free himself with a simple flick, then attack at close range before any proper defense could be made. Only, when the prince tried to free himself it didn’t go as he’d imagined. There was legitimate resistance! As the two struggled, Vegeta finally noticed the source of his apparent struggle. His son’s left arm was far more bulky and muscular than it had been half a second ago. As he examined the rest of his son’s body, it was quite obvious that all his muscles had been boosted in this way.  
“But...this technique...”  
Instantly, question after question began racing through the Prince of Saiyan’s head. Foremost among them was the obvious one. ‘How can this technique, a form almost thirty years old, still possibly be relevant?’  
“—has huge weaknesses?” Trunks replied, retaining his smile as he finished his father’s sentence.  
The main disadvantage of the technique was that it severely hampered agility and momentum, the cost for providing such a phenomenal boost in strength. As a Super Saiyan 2, Vegeta was already far faster than a normal Super Saiyan, but with this technique it would be like a snail racing against a cheetah!  
Suddenly, Trunks grip on his father’s wrist loosened. With his other hand, he’d grabbed the hilt of his sword and drew it above his head. His body was suddenly lean again! The switch had been quick, far faster than Vegeta had expected, but his own speed was still superior. Hopping backwards, he avoided the first swipe. The Brave Sword’s blade sliced into the ground, shattering a piece of the grey ring.  
Instantly, Trunks chased after his father, closing the distance between them. As close as they were, he had a much higher chance of actually hitting his father with the sword. He swung it in front of him back and forth, slashing and swiping. Though surprised, Vegeta was able to dodge each swipe. Following up his attack, sword still raised high, Trunks began charging up a ki blast in his left hand. Vegeta, naturally, noticed it right away, as well as the fact that his son’s muscles once again expanded, his power shooting up. He launched the attack right away, the close range making it ten times more effective. Vegeta only had time to cross his arms in front of him defensively. The blast was so powerful that its detonation shrouded the entire upper hemisphere of the ring in a thick cloud of smoke. Amidst the dust, Vegeta, who was barely scratched, dropped his arms back down.  
“Not bad,” the prince had to admit.  
Ripples in the air and the subtle vibrations of ki suddenly alerted Vegeta to an attack from behind. Hearing the whistling of the blade against the air, he ducked just in time to avoid the fatal blow. Putting his hands on the ring, Vegeta kicked upwards at his son, but he dodged just in time—assuming that he’d actually meant to dodge, rather than simply getting lucky.  
Trunks suddenly bulked up his left arm, swinging a violent smashing blow into his father and knocking him face first into the ring. Knowing full well that an attack like this wasn’t near powerful enough to KO his father, the youth kicked Vegeta up into the air. Then, flying through the air in his regular Super Saiyan form, he quickly made his way behind the prince and raised his sword.  
But just as the swing passed through his body, Vegeta disappeared, reappearing in the ring below with a grin.

“That’s enough.” Vegeta wasn’t interested in continuing dodging the swipes of his son. But he admitted that the technique was innovative and original. “Impressive... You compensate for the loss in speed by using this form only when necessary.”  
Trunks tried attacking again as his father spoke, but in vain. Re-appearing beside his dad, he swung the Brave Sword horizontally, but Vegeta’s form fizzled into nothing as he dodged. The prince was suddenly up in the air, looking down on him and cupping his hands to his side in a strange way. Trunks wasn’t familiar with this technique or stance, but it was clear he was concentrating his energy into something.  
Sheathing his blade, the son smiled as he put his own hands forward to accept the challenge. Forming the most powerful attack he could, Trunks focused his ki in front of him. Above him, Vegeta finally launched his Garric Ho, an old (and far less effective) technique compared to the Big Bang Attack or Final Flash.  
The two attacks met in the center with a mighty rumble, each struggling to overcome the other. For a few moments they seemed even, not even the spectators being able to determine which would triumph. Who had the upper hand? Suddenly, the ball of energy at the epicenter expanded and detonated, hurling both warriors in opposite directions.

Trunks crashed into the empty area of Universe 10, while Vegeta was thrown into the area for universe 19—the fighters and spectators all moving away from him. Even as he made his way to his feet, Trunks was upon him again, flying at full speed ready to attack.  
“It’s a good technique,” Vegeta said, dodging just out of the way of a punch. “Your mastery of this state would have posed a serious threat to Perfect Cell.”  
‘Although,’ the prince thought, ‘clever as he was, Cell could have very well learned to do the the same thing—and probably in mere moments.’  
“—But me,” Vegeta continued with a smile. “I have both strength and speed at the same time!”  
Avoiding a second punch, Vegeta sidestepped, creating an opening and swinging up his left knee into Trunks’ stomach. But the latter was able to activate his bulky transformation the moment just before impact. Vegeta even inwardly congratulated his son for taking the blow head on without being rocketed away.  
“It’s also useful for defense,” Trunks said, sweating as he smiled at his father. “But...it seems it’s not enough,” he whispered, falling forwards onto the arm of Vegeta.  
It had ended quite abruptly, but even so Vegeta had known the fight was finished when he had decided to use the Super Saiyan 2 form. Slowly, he turned towards the area of universe 12 and took off. Though they were counting, the Vargas were still yet to declare the winner of the match. Vegeta heaved his son onto the ground beside # 16 just as the announcement finally came.  
“Thirty seconds unconscious! The victor is Vegeta!”  
Forgetting to turn off the microphone, the Varga turned to a colleague beside him and began complaining.  
“He could have waited until the end of our countdown... Can you believe his arrogance? He was sure to win anyway if he’d have just waited!”  
“Idiot!” the other suddenly yelled. “The microphone!”  
“Oh, damn!” the announcer replied.  
Out in the audience there were many spectators debating amongst themselves. They had thought things were fairly even between the two, that it was a relatively close fight. But somehow Vegeta had defeated his son in a single blow. Had the difference between the two been that great?  
Vegeta turned to the orange-haired robot, his face expressionless. “Hey. Just between us, how is Bulma doing in your universe?”  
“All is well for her,” the robot said. “She is heavily involved with the world’s reconstruction, thanks to her technological knowledge. Her help is invaluable, as is her son’s. She is highly respected by everyone, and they would hate to lose her. In my universe she is practically famous.”  
# 16 paused, adding one last thing with a smile. “There is no need to worry about her.”  
“Fine,” Vegeta said.  
“Would you like me to give her a message when I get back?”  
The prince hesitated, turning, and whispered something inaudible to everyone except # 16. He then left immediately, passing first through the area of universe 13. The ‘Super Saiyans’ there seemed to have observed his fight with great interest. In particular, Kakarotto turned to him and smiled smugly in his direction. The other Vegeta's expression seemed to disapprove of his foolish companion with his mere glance.  
As he approached, the speakers in the arena sounded once again. “The next fight will be Pan of Universe 18 against Kakarotto of Universe 13!”  
“Kakarotto's an unbearable clown, eh?” the passing Vegeta mentioned to his counterpart of Universe 13, both noticing their arms were crossed in the same manner.  
“A constant pain in the ass,” the evil Saiyan confirmed.  
Vegeta had noticed that Kakarotto was stretching and popping his joints as he prepared for his upcoming fight with Pan.  
“I'm warning you, Kakarotto,” he began. “If you fight with as little restraint against Pan as you did in your last fight...”  
Unflinching, the Saiyans of Universe 13 stared at him.  
“...it won’t be your own Vegeta you have to worry about, I'll stop you myself. And I promise to make it hurt.”  
To his surprise, Kakarotto only smiled. “Your universe really is filled with a bunch of soft, caring pansies, isn’t it? What a shame.”  
“There’ll be no need for you to pummel Kakarotto, no matter how much the idiot deserves it,” the other Vegeta suddenly added. “The girl’s father already had a little ‘talk’ with him. He’ll behave.”  
“Well, well,” Vegeta said with a smile. ‘So Gohan went to see them during the night...interesting...’  
Turning his back suddenly, Vegeta cut the conversation short and headed back to his own balcony. There, an anxious Pan was preparing for her own fight.  
Pan tried to quell the anxious feeling in the back of her throat. The moment she’d been waiting for had finally arrived: it was time to fight the alternate version of her grandfather. Standing all around her, the girl’s family and friends could all see her hesitation. Goten, her uncle, was the first to intervene, trying to lighten the tension.  
“Now that you’ve beaten Baddack, it looks like you’ve got Kakarotto, Vegeta, Cell, Goku, and then Vegetto! All of them Saiyans, too! But hey, it looks like everything is laid out for you to crush everyone!”  
“Cell? A Saiyan?” Bra asked, surprised.  
Son Goten turned, explaining himself. “Cell is nearly as much of one as I am. I bet at least half of his dna is Saiyan.”  
“Super!” Trunks laughed. “And I’m sure your children will be beautiful!”  
Goten huffed, trying to think up a decent comeback, while Pan turned to her own father.  
“Dad... Do you think I’m going to win?”  
“I don’t know, Pan,” he said, looking down at his daughter with pride. “This ‘Kakarotto’ hasn’t yet shown us what he’s capable of. Although, we do know he can turn into a Super Saiyan.”  
“And,” she mumbled, “I can’t.”  
“Yes, you can,” Gohan quickly comforted. “I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again. You’re afraid, but I know you can do it.”  
Videl nealt down in front of her daughter, putting her hands on the young girl’s shoulders. “Pan...it’s just a silly tournament. You can forfeit if you want to.”  
Quickly intervening, Goku stepped closer to the girl, putting his right fist on his side.  
“I don’t think I agree with that, Videl,” he said, kneeling down beside his granddaughter. “It is just a tournament, which means it’s not any real danger. Even if you did die, it wouldn’t matter since they’d revive you at the end.”  
“Yeah, but...I don’t want to die, even if it’s not for long,” the girl said doubtfully.  
“Goku, you’ve got to quit taking death so lightly! Especially with a child!” Videl argued, her protective instinct overpowering her understanding of Goku’s vision.  
“Well, it’s true though,” Goku smirked. “In fact, most of us here have been revived with the Dragon Balls, myself especially. I’ve died bunches of times, but each time I get brought back. It seems death isn’t the irreversible fate that governs the universe after all.”  
Pan’s eyes refused to meet with those trying to console her. “I’m going to lose no matter what anyway. So why die in vain?”  
The Prince of Saiyans, still returning from the area of universe 12, had barely caught the end of her sentence. He quickly hopped over the wall.  
“Lose? Die in vain? What’s this I hear?”  
Pan turned to Vegeta, sulking slightly. “Come on, it’s just a tournament.”  
“This is serious, Pan... I’m disappointed in you.”  
“Gohan!” Videl groaned, frustrated with her husband. “Are you going to just stand there and do nothing? Tell her she should forfeit the match!”  
“Videl, you don’t understand. Pan wants to test her limits. I may not like it, but I know how my father and his friends are...she’s the same way.”  
“Why are you disappointed?” Pan asked, a sudden spark in her voice.  
Vegeta’s look was stern, his right arm raised. “Because you’re a Saiyan, the offspring of Gohan and Goku!”  
“Super,” Videl grumbled, her face sour. “And I suppose I count for nothing.”  
Grunting, the prince gestured behind him to Bra, Goten, and Trunks. The two boys, surprised, were suddenly wide eyed. Bra, however, remained oblivious, wondering for the hundredth time about why she had even come along.  
“I thought you weren’t like those sluggards, that you were a true warrior! But I guess I was wrong, you’re nothing but a quitter.”  
“No I’m not!” Pan shouted angrily. “It’s just...”  
“Pan,” Goku interrupted. “You mustn’t be afraid of defeat. Even death isn’t something to fear.” He paused, allowing a second for his words to sink in. “Tell me, who’s the strongest person in the world?”  
Without hesitation, the girl replied. “My dad.”  
Vegeta’s lip quivered as he barely was able to refrain from correcting her, but the years had taught him restraint. He decided instead to let his rival finish talking, in spite of how badly he wanted to assure them of his own superiority.  
“We agree,” Goku continued. “And yet, your father has lost nearly every fight he ever had.”  
“That’s true,” Gohan affirmed. “I couldn’t beat Nappa, Vegeta, Freeza, or even his elite Ginyu squad. I wasn’t strong enough to defeat the Cyborgs either. My first win, after all those years of defeats, was against Cell.”  
“Gohan also defeated Bojack,” Vegeta added, “but lost again to Buu. Not to mention Dabura,” the prince mumbled, even the memory enough to tick him off.  
“It’s the same for me,” Goku confessed. “I’ve lost a lot of fights in my day.” Vegeta and Gohan both nodded.  
“But... I’m afraid...”  
“Pan, you think you’re afraid now, here in this tournament? When the day comes that the fate of the world rests on your shoulders, when the lives of everyone you hold dear rest in your hands, then you’ll know fear.”  
“I was terrified too at my first fight,” Gohan added, trying to temper his father’s words. “It’s perfectly normal. But right now all of us are with you. There’s no need to be afraid.”  
“Pan, listen to me,” Vegeta suddenly said.  
Without a word, the girl raised her eyes. Everyone had turned to see what the Saiyan prince might say.  
“Remember when I told you to lose against Kakarotto?”  
“Uh, yeah...” she said, wondering if he would tell her to quit now so that he’d have a guaranteed fight with him in the next round.  
“Forget what I said last round. Go massacre this pitiful excuse for a Kakarotto!”  
For a moment all were speechless, but Pan’s sudden smile brought an end to the discussion.  
“Alright! I’ll fight then!”  
Over in the area of universe 13, there was also a discussion regarding the young pan.  
“Don’t forget, Kakarotto,” Vegeta ordered. “There will be none of your rampaging madness, understood?”  
“Pshh. I can control myself,” the other replied disdainfully as he took off into the air.  
“Actually...no, you can’t.”  
“Still, you have to admit that it’s not easy following the demands of some pretentious half-Saiyan,” Raditz said. “Especially when it comes to keeping secrets. Since when do we hold true to our word on stuff like this anyway?”  
“It’s our practice to do whatever serves us best, especially when we’re in a position of weakness,” Vegeta replied.  
“Basically, it means we’re keeping a low profile like we did working for Frieza,” Nappa added.  
“It’s a wonder you even realize that, Nappa,” the prince said in confirmation.  
“I hate even thinking about those days, don’t you, Vegeta?”  
“Yes. But don’t forget, in the end, it was us who overcame. We must weather this situation much the same.”  
Now in the ring, Pan expected Kakarotto to firm up. The latter immediately transformed into a Super Saiyan, whether he needed to or not. He was now virtually invincible against a foe of her level, he had only to wait until she realizes it and quits. It was clearly nothing to get excited about.  
“Just try and hit me, kid.”  
Clenching her fists, Pan flared her ki around her, yelling as a white aura enveloped her.  
“What a pathetic power... And I have to play nice with that?”  
Pan lunged at her opponent as quickly as she could, her left fist forward. Kakarotto, arms crossed, effortlessly dodged the blow moving only his head. It was as if she was moving in slow motion.  
“Vegeta, you cretin...”  
Pan tried a kick, but the Saiyan merely leaned back, dodging effortlessly with his arms still crossed.  
‘We take orders from no one...’ he grumbled inwardly.  
Lifting his right hand, quickly and easily, he backhanded Pan without even looking, hurling her back as if he was swatting a mosquito.  
The girl landed on her feet in the ring, bracing with one hand, and rubbing her sore cheek with the other. But, ever hopeful, the daughter of Gohan attacked again.  
‘Damn,’ Kakarotto thought, losing patience.  
Pan tried various approaches, even feinting one way and attacking another. Her best attempts, however, were nothing but horseplay to Kakarotto, and her inexperience blinded her to the futility of it all. She had dared even to believe!  
“I’m done with this nonsense, understand!?” he shouted at the girl, flanking with a hard kick to her head. Her body was flung into the ring, skidding several meters away.  
“You’re way out of your league, little insect!” Kakarotto cried, agitated. “Just give up already!”  
Under his breath, through clenched teeth, the Saiyan was mumbling. “Gaahh! Why do I have to gently toss around this stupid ragdoll? I just wanna crush her, break every vertebra...” he said, a smile suddenly appearing on his face at the thought. “But I can control my frustration! You’ll see, Vegeta! I’m not crazy! Ha! Ha! Ha!” His eyes dropped down to his hands as he mused. “I miss the taste of blood...I’ve got to crush something. Let’s end this!” he shouted, suddenly rushing at Pan.  
“Ka...Me...Ha...Me...” Pan cried, charging her Ki into her hands after having finally stood back to her feet.  
Suddenly increasing his speed, Kakarotto rushed towards her and grabbed her by both wrists, wringing them up above her head.  
“Meha—nothing! I know all about that pathetic technique!”  
“Meha!!” she cried all the same It had rushed back to her in that moment, the story her grandfather had once told her of the time he’d used the Kamehameha with no hands. Putting both feet against Kakarotto’s chest, the girl released the power into her feet. The sudden and powerful blast rushed through his armor, spraying chunks of the vest all around. The Saiyan himself was even pushed back a few meters. When he finally came to a halt, the remainder of his armor completely crumbled and fell into the ring with a crash. Yet his face, that demonic and twisted smile, remained murderous with intent.  
“Daddy’s little brat is gonna suffer...”  
Pan rushed at her opponent, hoping for a surprise attack. But Kakarotto grabbed her by the ankle as quick as lightning, and dangled her by the foot. The girl, however, had one more trick up her sleeve. Throughout the fight, she’d kept the Nyoi Bo on her back. Grabbing it with one hand, she extended it suddenly. The red pole struck the insane Saiyan right in his forehead, causing him to let go of her. Regaining her balance, the girl took the opportunity to hammer her foe with several punches and kicks before he finally grabbed her by the hand.  
“Stupid brat!”  
None of Pan’s attacks so far had done any damage, and that wasn’t about to change. Nonetheless, he was ashamed that the girl had been able to hit him at all, not to mention beat on him as much as she had. Plus, the blow to his face had actually tingled a little.  
‘This is what happens when you play nice!’ Kakarotto thought. The annoying girl would just keep trying. She wouldn’t understand, not until he’d ripped her into a dozen pieces! Why wouldn’t they just let him do what was the logical course of action?  
As the maniac repeatedly swung Pan’s body into the ground, Kakarotto’s mind began to wander to his past.  
“Kill all the humans, Kakarotto!” “Don’t kill the leader, Kakarotto!” “Calm down, little brother!” “Kill all the humans!” “Don’t kill the girl, Kakarotto!”  
“You’re orders aren’t even consistent!” he yelled. “And you’re the ones calling me crazy!”  
Finding herself just at the very precipice of unconsciousness, Pan tried with all her might to forfeit. But no sounds escaped from her tired throat. Worse, the Saiyan understood what she was attempting to do and would not allow it. He raised his own laugh, attempting to drown out her pleas.  
“Poor pathetic waste! There’s so much human in you, how could I possibly spare you? I killed them all, all your shabby fighters! There they are, I even recognize them!” Kakarotto said, looking towards Universe 9.  
“Those two! The bald one and the guy with long hair, I hunted them for years! They tried to hold my off while the humans could flee their little cities, and then ran from me themselves! It took me quite a while to finally kill them, but it was oh so satisfying! And him...” he laughed, turning to the bearded dwarf.  
“Kulilin...” he whispered, his voice seeming to choke as if he couldn’t finish his sentence. A sad and desolate air surrounded him. The shock of seeing Kulilin again, recognizing him easily...it seemed he was tied to the Saiyan’s sole remorse. He recalled the time when they had played together in a lake... But the memories were gone as quickly as they came. Driving them out with force, Kakarotto repeatedly punched himself in the face.  
“Forget it! Forget! Kill the humans!”  
Kakarotto looked down to Pan, now lying on the ground. Since when had she collapsed? He couldn’t even remember, but he cared not.  
“They were so helpless...so naive...so weak! Those who don’t know how to protect themselves deserve to die!”  
Despite her exhaustion, Pan continued trying to think of a way to win. But it was in vain, as she knew her defeat was close. ‘It’s you who defends the Earth now,’ she remembered her grandfather telling her. ‘But Dad...Grandfather...I’m not brave against these monsters...I’m too young, too weak...”  
Kneeling down beside the young girl, who lay helplessly on her stomach, Kakarotto whispered into her ear.  
“You want to know what I did to the little children?”  
That was the turning point, the straw that broke the camel’s back! For all her fears and weaknesses, her anger suddenly boiled with intense rage against Kakarotto. How dare he smile sadistically while thinking about such perverse atrocities! Forget that he’d broken his agreement and hit her with extreme force, trying to kill her! It was what he’d done on Earth for those twenty years before the other Saiyans had retrieved him!  
‘What you did to little children...to all of humanity...it’s INEXCUSABLE!!!’ Pan roared inwardly, her fists now trembling. ‘I’ll never forgive you!’  
The color red blurred all her vision. She nearly foamed at the mouth in rage as a new and unexpected strength arose within her. Her eyes suddenly turned from black to green and a golden aura surrounded her, each strand of hair on her head standing stiff with a marvelous yellow tint. The very air around her raged.  
Surprised, Kakarotto took a sudden step back. She had transformed into a Super Saiyan before his very eyes!  
“Well then, it seems there’s a little Saiyan in you after all!” he said, smiling as the girl stood.  
Pan’s look was one of absolute hatred. But to Kakarotto, that only meant that the fight would get to continue on longer...perhaps he’d even be able to let loose now! His satisfaction, however, was short lived.  
“I give up.”  
“Huh?”  
Pan stood still for a moment, facing Kakarotto directly, watching silently. With each breath, she felt her new strength flow and pulsate around her. Her heartbeat quickened, as she felt the weight of this new strength, a power she wasn’t certain how to use. Should she fight now, even though she had seen it was pointless?  
She turned her harsh glance back to Kakarotto.  
“I did gain an incredible strength. Dad was right. But, I still have no chance of defeating you as I am now...”  
“Hey! Turn around and fight me!” Kakarotto ordered. “Don’t you dare quit!”  
In reply, the girl did turn, but only to get in one final remark.  
“This is only temporary! I’m going to become much stronger than you! And I WILL defend the Earth from villains just like you! But in the meantime, I think I’ll just let Vegeta take care of you in the next round.”  
“Victory for Kakarotto of universe 13!” the Vargas declared, even as Pan was walking out of the ring back towards her own area.  
Behind her, the Saiyan seemed to be in denial, his body completely motionless.  
“Incredible...She actually calmed down Kakarotto!” Vegeta of universe 13 said.  
But before Pan had even left the ring, Kakarotto finally recovered from his shock enough to move. He had allowed this child to become a Super Saiyan, to turn her back on him, and to insult him further by forfeiting. It was simply too much!  
Enraged, he rushed at Pan. Sensing his attack, the girl managed to turn around just in time...but she knew she had not the strength or speed to ward off such an attack. Kakarotto’s face was still that of a psychopath. His fist flew towards her face, filled with his judgement, the punishment for her actions. And just like that, the girl’s guardian angels sprung into action.  
Instantly appearing between her and Kakarotto were both Gohans, of universe 16 and 18. They had moved so quickly that it seemed as if they’d teleported. Both stood side by side, arms extended, palms open, as they formed a barrier between the madman and their daughter. Kakarotto’s fist struck with a crash one of the palms that had suddenly appeared in his path. And yet the Gohan he had touched did not budge even a micrometer.  
And they weren’t the only ones. Vegeta of Universe 18 had instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan 2. Like the two Gohans, he had merely appeared in Kakarotto’s path, rather than actively engaging him. Only, Vegeta didn’t uncross his arms, not even a fist or palm. Rather, he pointed both his index and middle finger towards the upset Saiyan. In this form, facing off against a mere Super Saiyan, Vegeta was practically invincible. With a swift show of super speed, Vegeta sliced the two fingers like a knife, directly at Kakarotto’s head. If it hadn’t been for both Gohan’s blocking the mad Saiyan’s path, he would have undoubtedly been beheaded by Vegeta...  
Goku, himself, hadn’t reacted. Of course, he’d known that his son would step in to protect his daughter, and that he would only get in the way. It surprised him that Vegeta had decided otherwise. Perhaps, though, the prince merely wanted to make a statement to Pan, that her fight had not been in vain. It was yet another reminder of how very different Vegeta was now than he had been a few decades ago.  
Gohan’s move onto the scene had been incredibly fast, but that was to be expected. As tense as the fight had been so far, the fact that he’d sprung into action at a moment’s notice was far from surprising. Of course, this was all because of the special powers granted to him by the Elder Kaioshin, which made accessing the full extent of his power something that took only an instant. At least, it was much faster than Vegeta, who still had to undergo a transformation. Still, Vegeta’s immediate ascension to the second level and instant appearance up near Kakarotto was quite impressive. Goku even found himself getting excited as he watched on. He and the prince would meet in the tournament for sure, and oh what a memorable match it would be! Certainly neither Cell, Majin Buu, or Uub could prevent them from meeting...  
Finally, another person intervened, and this one not a guardian angel of Pan, but rather Kakarotto. Vegeta of universe 13 appeared behind the shoulders of his companion. Kakarotto was effectively blocked off on all sides, and Pan was saved. They stared at one another silently for a few seconds, all the time a Varga approaching cautiously, most likely to declare a fault of some kind.  
Vegeta of universe 18 finally broke the silence.  
“Next round, it’ll be you and me, clown. And I’ll handle this little situation.”  
“Agreed,” his counterpart from universe 13 said.  
Both parties seemed more relaxed now, and after careful consideration the Varga finally decided not to disqualify anyone from participation in the next round. In fact, this situation was nearly the same as the first round, as when Vegeta of universe 13 had restrained Kakarotto from killing Kat of universe 6...even as she tried to forfeit.  
Pan was accompanied back to universe 18’s area by her father and Vegeta, Goku greeting them all with a smile. His granddaughter had been perfectly safe thanks to the lightning fast reactions of both Gohan and Vegeta. Now he could congratulate the girl on her achievement along with everyone.  
“Our next combatants will be Cell of universe 17 and Bojack of universe 6!” announced the Varga. Cell grinned evilly, it was finally his turn. Unfolding his arms, he started towards the ring, briefly pausing beside the area of universe 16. Gohan turned to eye his approach.  
“So, Gohan,” the bio android began, “how would you like for me to do something special to Bojack—in exchange for, say, a secret duel between us away from the arena? Surely you must be burning with wrath towards your daughter’s murderer...”  
The grown son of Goku maintained his serious expression as he gazed into Cell’s eyes. After a moment, he noticed in the corner of his eye the Pan of universe 18 being welcomed back by her friends—congratulated for achieving the Super Saiyan transformation. His own counterpart carried the young girl in his arms with pride. Both wore smiles.  
“My daughter died because she was brave, every bit as brave as her,” Gohan began, nodding with his eyes towards Pan of universe 18. “She passed the test, and will come back stronger than ever. I share no interest in your petty offer of revenge, Cell. Neither do I care to be mixed up in any of your games.”  
“Well if you won’t, I can sure make a few suggestions,” Bra suddenly cut in, grinning somewhat cruelly.  
“—No, Bra,” Gohan quickly silenced her.  
The reply didn’t suit Cell at all. Somehow, a part of him was still desperate to face Gohan again—he’d been the only one capable of holding him in check once he’d reached his perfect form. In other universes the boy had even managed to defeat him. And now, here in this neutral universe devoid of all life, he finally had the opportunity to avenge his counterparts. Not only that, but it was his one and only opportunity to see, once and for all, who between them was the strongest. Gohan may have beaten his counterparts back then, but today he was far more perfect in every way. Even so, the youthful half-Saiyan was clearly much stronger than before as well.  
Cell continued pondering. Despite the apparent reluctance of Gohan, the bio android was convinced that the fighter wanted to face him again as well. He also knew that with or without Gohan’s consent, he might have the opportunity to confront him again soon—if he could manipulate things just right.  
As Cell turned to head into the ring, Bra interrupted again.  
“Hey, don’t think you’re fooling us by pretending that you haven’t gotten stronger since the Cell Games? Because I’m sure you noticed by now that Gohan is way more powerful than when you two fought in your shitty tournament!”  
“Ah, I see you’ve called my bluff,” Cell grinned casually, shutting his eyes and lowering his head smugly. “It was a bit of a game I was playing before, but now that we’ve all seen several of the behemoths here I do believe it’s run its course. I can undoubtedly guarantee you, if you must know, that I am immensely stronger than I was before!”  
With a quiet smile, Gohan turned again towards Cell—the small change in his normally serene face surprised the perfect being. To the bio android, it was only further confirmation of Gohan’s earlier bluff. The Saiyan did want to fight, and Cell would insist upon it!  
“This tournament would be so much more interesting if there were more fights, don’t you agree, Gohan? No matter how serious the lower level fighters take it, soon such pitiful battles become quite dull to watch. Such a bore if you ask me, and I’m sure your father would agree...”  
Standing alone in a corner of universe 16’s area, Vegetto winced, but said nothing. Of course he was bored, but it couldn’t be helped with everyone in the multiverse being inferior to him in strength. That also gave him something to look forward to, though. The final fights would hopefully provide him the challenge he’d longed for. Cell, however, he didn’t expect much from. After all, he was a villain whose time was long passed! It was clear that Buu was stronger, and Vegetto failed to see how Cell could possibly pose a challenge for even Gohan, much less himself. Had the bio android found other cyborgs to absorb? He doubted it.  
“We’ve each killed one another, Gohan. In the end, it’s destiny for us to decide the true victor!” Cell concluded, finally leaping towards the arena.  
A Varga in the control center turned to his colleague, annoyed. “Ugh, finally! Do they really have so much to sit there blabbing about before the fight? It’s like those two are at war or something.”  
“All these monsters and their disregard for us, the rules, the tournament. I just don’t understand them,” the other Varga agreed.  
Cell landed on the ring with a TAC, Bojack waiting in front of him with crossed arms. The latter pondered silently whether or not he could win without even using his hands. Surely, with a full power kick, he thought he could.  
“About time, bugboy,” the space pirate proudly chuckled.  
Uncrossing his arms suddenly, Bojack unleashed his full power. It had been an instinct, perhaps to try impressing his opponent. ‘Am I really so vain?’ he wondered. Cell’s reaction, however, did not produce the awe he’d intended.  
“So that’s it, huh?” the bio android smirked. “Really, I was so proud of my power back around the time of the Cell Games—and now fighters just as strong start showing up one after another to challenge me...”  
“Heh!” the pirate grunted in reply, never losing his toothy grin. “You sure you haven’t shit yourself yet?”  
Had Cell possessed eyebrows, he’d have definitely furrowed them. Him, the perfect being, afraid? How laughable that was. ‘Perhaps I should demonstrate to this fool how to inspire true fear in one’s opponent,’ he thought. There was no longer any reason to hold back anyway, though he didn’t have to employ the entirety of his perfect strength just yet.  
“Those were the good old days, I had plenty of challenges back then...but today, I am incomparably stronger!” Cell suddenly yelled, widening his mouth as he clenched his fists together. Thick cutlets of blue lightning suddenly crackled out from his armored green torso, enveloped in the golden hued aura of his jagged energy. He hadn’t just become as powerful as Super Saiyan 2 Gohan—undeniably, he’d far surpassed that level.  
“H—huh?” Bojack’s eyebrows raised, his bottom jaw slowly dropping in surprise. Just then, a galeforce of Cell’s energy crashed into him, provoking the space pirate to raise his right arm defensively against the sudden wind. It was more than he’d expected, but he quickly gathered himself and recovered his smile.  
“You think blowing a little wind in my face is enough to scare me? Opponents who show off, pah—I’ve seen them my whole life! You’re no exception!”  
Watching below from area 18, Goku turned to his Saiyan comrade. “Looks like our suspicions were right. He’s much stronger now.”  
“Of course,” Vegeta replied nonchalantly. “He has our cells in him after all. It seems the drive to constantly become more powerful comes as naturally to him as it does to any other Saiyan. Still, just how far he’s come remains to be seen.”  
Indeed, Vegeta was definitely curious about the progress Cell had made over the years. What if Gero had engineered the bio android to progress much more quickly than a normal Saiyan? If that were the case, he could quite possibly exceed—after twenty seven years of training—the level of anyone in universe 18. In any case, Vegeta knew from studying his side of the bracket that he’d likely get the chance to find out firsthand.  
“Come on, you worm!” the leader of the Bojack gang yelled, charging in for the first strike. But his attack met only the empty vacuum of air. Cell had disappeared at the last instant. Anyone at or below the level of Bojack completely lost sight of the bio android for the next few seconds, until he suddenly reappeared behind the green-skinned pirate.  
“You looking for someone?” Cell chuckled, startling his foe. “Don’t tell me I’m too fast for you already.”  
Livid, Bojack spun, his hand outstretched for a point blank Ki blast. The huge energy beam burst forth immediately, engulfing a large portion of the energy shield protecting the audience as it widened.  
“Hah! Even easier than expected!” the space pirate proudly announced, daring a smile. But as the dust before him began to clear, the fearful sight of a completely unblemished Cell stole away his confidence.  
“So...that’s your best, is it?” Gero’s creature mocked with slight amusement.  
Seeing that energy attacks weren’t going to work, the pirate deduced that he’d have to overpower his opponent with physical might. Gathering all his strength, Bojack rushed his foe at maximum speed. He’d never come across anyone could match his extreme agility...until now. Listing lazily to the left, then right, Cell dodged each attack with obvious ease.  
“You’re quite sloppy, you know,” Cell commented, enjoying the growing expression of anxiety on his enemy's face.  
“Rrrg!!! Just shut the fuck up!” Bojack raged, swinging his right fist as hard and as fast as he could.  
Cell only grinned, catching the punch easily in his left hand. “Make me.” By only tightening his grip a little, Gero’s monster crushed his foe’s hand, easily breaking through his feeble defense. He immediately followed up with a perfectly executed blow to the pirate’s soft belly.  
“Gaach!!” Bojack gasped, spewing blood and saliva from his mouth. “Im—Impossible!” he staggered backwards, wincing from the pain—agony like he’d never known.  
Cell confidently stepped towards him once again, but this time greeted his opponent with both hands casually at his sides. Bojack flung himself at his foe, who neither dodged nor parried as the attacks poured on. He struck again and again, first with his fists and then flowing into various kicks as well. Every blow sent circular shockwaves booming throughout the arena, causing the ring to shake constantly. Yet through it all, the green insect-like being didn’t move an inch. Not only that, but the distinctly confident smile that Cell so proudly wore never even flinched. There wasn’t so much as a scratch on him, not the slightest bit of damage—a fact which Bojack was well aware of. But, if a melee brawl was also doomed to failure, he knew he still could rely on his special techniques!  
“Energy Bonds!” he shouted, suddenly extending his hands forward.  
Immediately, Cell was bound tightly by what looked like tiny threads of son energy, each wrapping and entangling his body.  
“Hah!” the pirate goaded, finally regaining his smile. “You’re mine now. I won’t let you make the slightest move!”  
“Ghrrk.” For a moment, Cell allowed himself to display a look of shock, of panic, as he struggled. But it was nothing but a facade, a ruse—just as he’d done when toying with Super Vegeta all those years ago. His false fright suddenly cracked once again into a devious smirk. “You’re not moving either.”  
“Huh...” the space pirate murmured, suddenly losing his luster. Once again he’d been caught by surprise. Of course it was true, though he’d never paid any attention to it. The downside to the Energy Bonds technique was that in order to prevent Cell from moving, he couldn’t move either. It didn’t matter though, so long as he had his enemy contained he was safe from being attacked!  
But Cell suddenly managed to hop, finding that his feet were not properly contained. He landed just to the right of Bojack, who barely found the time to spin and readjust his distance—all while strengthening the son energy. The space pirate knew he wouldn’t be able to contain a foe like this indefinitely, he had to do something. Increasing to full power, he hoped to ensure his victory with a series of swift slices.  
“They’ll cut you to pieces!”  
From Cell’s perspective, the binds definitely tightened a good deal. However, his unwavering smirk could not be overcome with such a juvenile tactic—particularly one with so great a weakness. The bio android’s eyes suddenly began to glow, concentrating two thin laser beams which he immediately fired. Bojack was struck full in the chest, completely unable to defend himself from the piercing energy. The impact alone hoisted him off his feet and hurled him angrily backwards until he slammed into the energy shield protecting the public—just as had happened with Zangya.  
Fate, it seems, allowed him to fall to the ground in the area of universe 16.  
“Another crushing defeat for the Bojack Gang!” Jet, a daughter of universe 6, cried joyfully.  
“Yeah, I’m finally glad that I came!” Kat replied, equally glad to see their enemy’s defeat.  
“Hey!” Bujin shouted from behind them, as if announcing his presence.  
The two startled girls jumped with a shiver. They’d completely forgotten the last member of the gang, who had been quite discreet, was sitting right behind them.  
“I was just joking,” Kat quickly tried to explain, laughing nervously. “I’ve got nothing against you.”  
“Right...” he intoned with plentiful sarcasm. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning! You’re just here to kill Bojack, it’s obvious.”  
Suddenly inspired with even more fear, Kat shook her hands out in front of her, shutting her eyes. How did he know? What exactly did he know? Maybe he was just guessing... Beside her, a large bead of sweat began trickling down the blonde Jet’s forehead.  
‘Bravo for the reaction, stupid,’ the frustrated girl inwardly paraded. ‘If he wasn’t certain of our hidden agenda before, he certainly has no doubts about it now!’ Neither said a word in response.  
Lying on the floor of area 16, Bojack lifted his bruised head. There was a chance that the thirty second time limit hadn’t yet expired. But as his eyes slowly opened, he saw only a dark black dress shoe. Blurred as his vision was, he couldn’t immediately make out its owner. But within a moment, he realized that it was none other than Gohan, the father of the little girl he had murdered.  
Standing behind the man was his wife Videl, who was clutching his arm tightly at the sight of such a monster. To his left, however, stood the ever-confident Bra, fully Super Saiyan, cracking her fists together with a smirk.  
“Bad luck falling here, jackass!”  
Watching the scene from the tournament ring, Cell could only smile at his handiwork. Of course it had been deliberate, a careful calculation of the angle he’d sent his opponent—yet another part of his scheme. The outcome, however, remained to be seen. That is, what would be the reaction of Gohan towards the murderer of his precious child?  
Gohan’s eyes were as severe as two supernova as they met with the fallen killer’s, but he restrained his anger. After a few long seconds, he finally turned his gaze away. Bra, however, did not.  
“Hey, you’re in our area now. That means I’m gonna pound you to a pulp!” she yelled, twisting the rules out of context in hopes no one would object.  
“No, no,” her father suddenly said, appearing beside her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, restraining the girl’s temper.  
“I...” Bojack stuttered, pushing himself up with his hands.  
Suddenly, everyone in the area of universe 16 turned up towards the ring. Bojack only saw their faces turn. It wasn’t until the excruciating pain in his back came that he understood. With a loud roar and a painful gasp, darkness was veiled over his eyes. Bojack was no more.  
Since he’d fallen from the ring, Cell had awaited the proper moment to crush Bojack with a powerful knee. The reaction he’d expected from Gohan, however, did not come.  
“Bojack has been killed! Victory goes to Cell of universe 17!” one of the overseeing Varga’s announced. Meanwhile, Cell grasped his dead foe’s head by the hair and raised him up.  
“Already dead, huh? Such a fragile creature.” Seemingly satisfied, Cell dropped the pirate and began heading back towards the area of universe 17. Without turning to the others, he added a final remark.  
“I’ll leave you to clean up the mess, hmm...”  
But Bra, still in Super Saiyan, sped in front of the bio android. Turning and facing him angrily, she raised a hand, she let loose her temper once more.  
“Gohan may not care about fighting you, but that doesn’t go for me! I WILL avenge Pan! Me, Son Bra! I accept your stupid challenge, the one you offered my brother!”  
“Tch. Not interested,” Cell chuckled, resuming his exit. “You’re nothing. Beating up a fragile little girl like you isn’t even worth my time.”  
“WHAT!!!!?” Bra immediately cried, angrily blocking the path of Gero’s monster once more. “You wanna say that again!!!?”  
Just as before, though, the ever casual Vegetto made a quick move to intervene. “That’s enough, Bra. Let him go.”  
While the Nameks and Vargas busily cleaned up Bojack’s remains, the Frost Demons of universe 8 watched on with interest.  
“It seems to me that this Cell creature looks a bit like us,” Coola commented. “I’m not exactly sure what it is though...”  
“Nonsense,” Freeza replied. “I see no resemblance whatsoever. Besides, you lost. Since when do you have any interest in commenting on the different fights or participants, huh?”  
“Say what?” Coola responded, before being interrupted by one of their underlings. A bearded soldier had just arrived with a new set of armor which he handed to King Cold.  
“Your new armor, sire. We worked on it all night long!”  
The father of the Frost Demons pulled it over his head, testing it briefly for mobility and fit.  
“Yes, that’s much better!” he smiled. “Far more dignified than before.”  
For his two sons, it was not only the first time they’d seen their father in his original form, but certainly the first time he’d wore armor in any other form. Did that mean he intended to stay in this form indefinitely now? If he’d mastered it so well, why not do so sooner?  
In universe 6’s area, the Vargas and Nameks returned the corpse of Bojack on a stretcher. But after an awkward moment of hesitation, Bujin spoke.  
“I don’t need to see him, and I don’t care what you do with him either.”  
For the second time, the Vargas wondered what was wrong with this group. Were they so cold as to not even care to collect the remains of a fallen friend or family member?  
Jet cast a surprised look to Bujin. Dissention within Bojack’s ranks? Very interesting...  
While Cell returned victoriously to the designated space of universe 17, the next two combatants were mentally preparing themselves. Tapion of universe 3 and Kulilin of universe 9 were moments away from entering the ring. While the former had not yet been able to fight due to the forfeit of everyone in universe 10, specifically the Namekian called Caracoru, the latter had shown impressive talent against his first opponent, Sauza of universe 8.  
The fight immediately following Cell vs the Space Pirate Bojack would finally reveal the musician Tapion’s level and allow the turtle master to test whether or not he wielded true strength and determination.  
Tapion was certainly no extraordinary warrior, Kulilin could tell that about him from a glance. That was not to say that he wasn’t a threat, however. Along with his younger brother, Minosha, Tapion had faced off against an awfully powerful creature known as Hildegan. Fortunately for them, neither their physical strength nor mental fortitude had been decisive in the clash. Sometimes strategy wins battles, little tricks and plans—even having an unshakeable will can help tip the balance of power. To neutralize Hildegan there was convened a magical ocarina, one which was capable of stopping the monster with nothing but a simple melody. Along with it was an enchanted sword and two music boxes bestowed with the ability to seal away the demonic being. These artifacts, along with Tapion and his brother, singlehandedly became the salvation of an entire people. Hildegan was stunned by the music, sliced in half by the blade, and imprisoned within the boxes. For their heroism, the brothers were celebrated as heroes.  
However, there was a problem. Neither of the pair were able to fully contain their respective halves of the monster’s body. Believed to be the only safeguard, they too were sealed within the music boxes and thrown into the deepest reaches of space—separated to far corners of the universe so as to prevent anyone from ever restoring Hildegan again.  
Somehow, today, Tapion stood there free from his eternal prison, fighting in hopes of having his wish granted.  
Kulilin, on the other hand, was merely there for the challenge. If he wanted, he could make a wish on the Dragon Balls back in his own universe, but he had none to make. His one desire was to fight against formidable warriors and test himself. His only other goal there was to gather information. He’d experienced the abominable evils of many of the tournament’s contestants already. There were great terrors still free in several of the universes, some of whom he’d already faced in his universe. When the Vargas had first come and explained to them the concept of the multiverse tournament, Kulilin, Yamcha, and Tien had each recalled their past battles. A big part of the reason they had agreed to participate was simply to monitor everyone else.  
They were wise to do so. After arriving, they recognized many of the participants as old friends or foes. The Saiyans of universe 13 were a few, as well as Coola of universe 8 and his cronies. They also knew Dabra and Babidi of universe 11 and Android 16 of universe 12. There were two other Videls as well, one in universe 16 and one in the 18th. Then there were the two cyborgs, #17 and #18, though they were different from the ones in their own world. Kulilin had become quite intrigued by each of the universes and how each one could be traced back to a single point where they split. One decision, a different reaction, or even random chance could lead to two entirely opposite universes being created. While Kulilin had already begun to learn about each universe, many of his questions remained unanswered.  
‘I’m especially curious about that Saiyan, Son Goku, who seems to know me so well,’ he thought.  
The announcement finally came. “For the next bout, we invite Tapion of universe 3 and Kulilin of universe 9 to enter the ring!”  
Kulilin’s introspection was interrupted by the loudspeakers. As he received a few last minute encouraging words from his friends, he noticed Tapion a little to the left in front of him. The latter was speaking to one of the Namek organizers.  
“Excuse me, sir, could you take me into the ring?”  
The Namekian hesitated briefly, but then began levitating. It was the second time since the tournament he’d had this request. The first competitor not able to enter the ring under her own strength had been Syd of universe 6—one of the girls from Bojack’s world, though by no means one of his gang. She had unfortunately perished at the hands of the ruthless Vegeta, one of the Super Saiyans from universe 13.  
Tapion asking for assistance was quite a surprise to many, the spectators in particular. Few were willing to bet on a warrior who lacked even the ability to enter the ring—unless of course, it was a hoax, a strategy to fool his opponent into lowering his guard and acting under the assumption he couldn’t fly.  
Even if this had been the case, Kulilin wouldn’t have fallen prey to the ruse. He was more than careful enough to have been paying close attention. The Namek was eager to see for himself how Tapion would manage, though, so he quickly grabbed Tapion’s wrist and lifted off heading towards the ring. When he was only a few meters above the surface, the organizer suddenly felt the immense gravity increase, ten times greater than last round for a total of one hundred times above normal. Tapion seemed to slip out of his arms immediately, hurtling toward the ground face first.  
The Namekian immediately wanted to apologize, of course. The gravity was far too strong for even him, and his mis-handling of the flight had led to him dropping the fighter. ‘Incredible!’ he thought. ‘This gravity is insane, even to a warrior-type Namekian like myself. And all the while, these fighters so far have been acting like it’s nothing at all!’  
As he looked up, he saw the turtle-shell sporting dwarf come jumping out of the universe 9’s area. But the nearer he got, the less in control he was, until Kulilin was falling out of control. A second later he crashed into the ring, landing on the other side of Tapion—who was still face down in the arena.  
“Urgh! I weigh a ton!” Tapion said, struggling in vain to lift himself.  
“By the rheumatic turtle!” Kulilin exclaimed, his feet hanging under his shell unable to reach the ground.  
After a moment, in which neither combatant was able to extricate himself from the effects of the gravity, the spectators began to mumble in astonishment. The Namek was quite surprised himself. It looked like the only fighting the two would be capable of might involve some kind of pathetic crawling. Or worse...  
“Wrap me in your aura,” Tapion said, suddenly being enshrouded by a mysterious force.  
“Well, what do you know...” Kulilin said, merely as if mentioning the time of day. “Alright, then. Kaioken.”  
Both fighters immediately stood to their feet with ease, suddenly strengthened. Around the human was a jagged red aura while a more violet and smooth aura accompanied Tapion. Each one seemed to be behaving as if gravity had simply returned to normal. Then, their eyes met.  
“Don’t hesitate to leave if you like,” Tapion began.  
“That’s nice of you, but I didn’t come all this way for nothing,” the bearded dwarf replied.  
In reply, Tapoin brandished his sword and lowered his chin. Had the blade been wielded by any normal foe it wouldn’t have posed a real threat. But surrounded by this mysterious aura, Kulilin knew it was extremely dangerous. Ki, this Ki in particular, was far more powerful than any physical weapon, as well as anything made by hand or machines. But if Tapion had the edge in weaponry, Kulilin carried on his back the ultimate defense—a shell made of solid Kachin, the densest and hardest metal in all of the universe. However, it was not so simple as just attack against defense. Though he gripped the sword firmly in his right hand, left fist ready to strike, Tapion remained in a defensive position. It was obvious he wouldn’t make the first move. Kulilin’s form remained upright as well, like he was ready for anything. He too appeared to be awaiting the first move. Despite his age, Kulilin was very intelligent, and able to react in half a second.  
He assessed his opponent silently. What he found most curious was trying to perceive the strange Ki that emanated from Tapion. It was difficult to measure and felt even stranger.  
His efforts seemed to be in vain...  
There was something very mysterious about his power. On his own, Tapion didn’t seem at all capable of withstanding gravity one hundred times greater than normal. But with only a few words, this strange power had been revealed and he stood with ease. In fact, it seemed quite similar to the Kaioken, though it differed quite a bit in appearance. Was it some kind of hereditary power or a genetic mutation? Perhaps the power was emanating from some enchanted object in his possession? If that was the case, what was it—the ocarina or the sword? As much of a puzzle as that was, Kulilin was equally curious about the duration of Tapion’s power.  
‘He’s in a defensive position...and I can’t maintain the Kaioken for long,’ Kulilin thought. ‘I should attack now.’  
Suddenly, he barreled towards his opponent at full speed, dropping the cane he held in his right hand. With his other, he slid his shell over his shoulder to use it as a shield. Tapion reacted quickly, preparing his counter as he swung a large side-sweep at his opponent. The bald man blocked with his shell, which Tapion had expected to slice in half. Instead, the sword seemed to bounce off. The shockwave vibrated up through the blade, jarring the musician’s wrist out of place. Having prevented the surprise attack, Kulilin next flanked his foe with an elbow to the gut. Before even checking to see if his blow had yielded the intended effect, he used his momentum to get behind Tapion. Kulilin followed up with a powerful kick that sent his foe flying a few meters in the air, his body leaving a trail on the surface of the ring.  
Kulilin stood still a moment, awaiting Tapion’s reaction. Surprisingly, the musician stood back up quickly, seemingly unharmed.  
‘What incredible strength!’ the dwarf thought. ‘He has some kind of barrier protecting him. I’ll have to go in harder and make quicker flanks. To break through that shield, it’ll take some serious blows...’  
Across from him, Tapion sheathed his sword, knowing it was useless.  
‘He’s much too fast for me...I won’t be able to even touch him. I barely had any time to react, and that shell of his must be indestructible.’  
“Sorry about this,” Tapion began. “It looks like I’ll have to be more violent.”  
‘More violent?’ Kulilin wondered. ‘He didn’t even touch me!’ The musicians words were a bit of a conundrum. ‘What does he mean by more violent?’  
Suddenly Tapion raised his left hand to his right wrist and yelled aloud. “Come out and fight for me!”  
Immediately, Kulilin understood the origins of Tapion’s mysterious power—it had been shared with him by a creature within. This being had suddenly begun appearing in the ring, spinning out of the musician’s body like a whirling tornado. Whatever it was seemed to be summoned to come fight for its master. According to the rules of the tournament, this was perfectly legal. That meant now Kulilin would have to fight two opponents simultaneously.  
The winds around Tapion grew in size and stature, spinning frantically as the beast was unleashed. A furious gust whipped against Kulilin’s face, blowing his beard around like paper. From the tornadoes, a thick smoke finally formed which then seemed to glob together into a flesh and blood monster. The creature was as enormous as it was hideous.  
It was as large as an Oozaru, if not slightly bigger, and had two massive claws supporting its two thick hind-legs in the back. If it tried, the beast could easily double its height just by reaching! Its torso was awesome, wide, and thick. On each side it had incredibly large arms, both leading to a clawed hand. His head looked like something out of a horror story, as if it was stolen right out of a child’s worst nightmare. Last but not least was his ridiculously long tail which was capable of impaling foes at incredible speeds.  
Kulilin’s face, which wasn’t one known for expressions, told of his angst. “Well, that’s something...”  
Years ago he’d fought against an Oozaru, which had been one of the most terrible battles of his life. But compared to the monster before him, an Oozaru seemed like nothing but a friendly bear.  
Amongst the tournament spectators, exclamations of joy rose wildly. The reactions of the other fighters varied, depending on whether or not they had any personal knowledge of Tapion. Vegetto smiled, recalling that in his own universe Tapion had been unable to fully contain Hildegan—almost is if he was proud that he now could. Goku, on the other hand, was shocked that Tapion and the demon had somehow become allies.  
What he didn’t yet know was that Hildegan was not actually Tapion’s friend, but rather Raichi’s. Thanks to his scientific genius, the musician had been provided a device that kept Hildegan under his control and allowed him to even give the creature orders.  
“Attack,” Tapion said flatly.  
The monster roared, turning to the little dwarf—who was still pondering how he could begin to face such a monster—and tried to smash him underfoot.  
A monster this size in this level of gravity shouldn’t have been able to move like Hildegan was. Ever nimble, Kulilin narrowly dodged the giant foot from above, leaping backwards and putting some distance between himself and the monster.  
“I am sorry about this,” Tapion said. “I just really need to get my wish.” Truthfully, he felt a little ashamed that he couldn’t defeat Kulilin himself, but in order to achieve his goal he knew he couldn’t fight fairly.  
Yet, his opponent would not admit defeat. Pulling his hands around into a familiar position, he began concentrating his Ki. “Kame-Hame...HA!”  
His attack streaked toward Hildegan, who’d failed to crush the bald man, but upon contact it merely bounced right off his skin and deflected up into empty air.  
“What!?” Kulilin gasped, lowering his hands slowly.  
Next, Hildegan opened its mouth wide and unleashed a huge jet of flames, an attack that caught the human completely by surprise.  
“Stronger Kaioken!” Kulilin cried, hurrying to escape from the burning flames. While still fleeing the trail of fire, he raised his hand and yelled “Kienzan!”  
A spiral energy disc was instantly formed above his palm. Then, with a single clear and precise gesture, he sent the attack right at the Mastadon’s neck.  
Only, where there should have been a slicing impact, nothing happened. As if he’d become a huge Tornado, the monster seemed to vanish—leaving the energy disc to fly straight through as if he’d never there to begin with. It continued straight into the energy shield protecting the public before finally being extinguished.  
“Nothing is working against this thing!” Kulilin said in frustration. “Well, I think it’s clear that he’s not the one I need to be attacking...”  
The smoke seemed to be moving closer to him, as if it was almost ready to re-materialize, but Kulilin acted quickly. He sped away in a loop till he was flying at a low angle just above the ring, aimed right at Tapion. He was a mere ten meters away when he felt the ripples in the air of the monster’s sharp tail, attacking once again. He immediately banked upwards, narrowly dodging the attack, and yelping out loud in surprise.  
But the monster still hadn’t finished. It slammed its fist into the ground, hitting empty air where Kulilin had just been. He escaped to the air, gaining altitude quickly. But once again, he had to deal with its sharp tail—twice it nearly got him. Out of breath, Kulilin landed on the ring facing the monster once more.  
‘Finally, he’s getting tired...It’s nearly over,’ Tapion thought.  
The monster was slow to attack this time, though. That left Kulilin the opportunity to finally figure out a strategy that might work.  
The monster was incredibly fast and powerful. Not a single attack so far had even phased him, he’d either dodged by becoming a whirl of smoke or they had deflected off. But Tapion was the one controlling the monster, the one giving the orders. The question was whether or not neutralizing Tapion would cause Hildegan to vanish. Just getting close enough to the musician to do any damage would be difficult enough—the monster was protecting him quite effectively.  
It was time for Kulilin to spring his idea. He raised his arms, palms up, as if charging something. Hildegan’s tail stabbed in quickly at him, but he sprang up above the ring shattering appendage. He then stretched out his arms towards the monster and fired a powerful energy beam. Only, it passed just above the monster’s left shoulder.  
Yamcha of universe 9, ever the jester, had no hesitations about mocking his friend’s failed attack. “It had to happen eventually, haha! The hermit’s lost his eyesight...ah, the miseries of old age—it happens to us all. Although, I guess it’s not likely to happen to me.”  
“Bonehead,” Videl replied, eager to correct his false assumption. “That’s the Kakusan Kienzan.”  
“It’s my last chance!” Kulilin said, causing his energy blast to detonate just past Hildegan.  
Out of the explosion came nearly a dozen different Kienzan, each one spinning towards the goliath at different angles. Just as Kulilin had hoped, Hildegan began turning into his whirling intangible tornadic form.  
Watching on, Gohan of universe 18 was having something of a deja vu. He had only been five years old at the time, but he clearly remembered it nonetheless.  
“That’s the same technique he used against the Saibamen that you and Nappa created all those years ago.”  
Vegeta, standing beside him, commented as well. “Clever technique. It wouldn’t have done anything to me at the time, but if I recall that Kienzan nearly defeated Nappa. If Kulilin had used this variation of the attack back then, I alone would have been able to escape it.”  
Son Gohan smiled. “Heh. A compliment from you, Vegeta? Well that’s rare.”  
“The dwarf is inventive, I’ll give him that,” the prince added.  
“It’s true,” Piccolo added. “In only a few months time, he developed several new techniques. It seems that in this universe he’s progressed even further and improved them even more.”  
In his mind, Piccolo also recalled his own first tournament, which he’d attended in order to eliminate Goku then conquer Earth. Before fighting Goku, he’d had to face Kulilin, who’d given him some real trouble. Even then, he realized that conquering Earth would not be nearly as easy as he thought. Today, Kulilin required even more thought...  
Unlike previous incarnations of the move (used in many various universes) which involved energy balls or blasts, these Kienzan seemed to be endowed with reason. After they sliced vainly through the tornado of Hildegan’s form, they made U-turns and continued to press the attack. Their continued pursuit kept the demon in his vapor state, not allowing him the chance to re-materialize.  
Tapion immediately understood why. “He’ll try to take advantage of the fact that Hildegan is still in his smoke form. I must be...”  
“Maximum Kaioken!”  
Kulilin was already upon him. He had used all the resources at his disposal to be at his very fastest. This time, Tapion didn’t see it coming. He took the full force of the dwarf’s punch in his stomach and, despite the aura protecting him, gasped and collapsed onto the ground.  
“Do us both a favor and stay down for thirty seconds,” Kulilin said. While the official rules of the tournament stated that one would have to be unconscious for thirty seconds, it seemed that wasn’t always the case. Android 18 from universe 14 had merely been immobilized under Yamcha and the Vargas had begun the countdown.  
‘Darn! I just don’t have the experience for a fight like this...’ Tapion thought, in too much pain to even move. He gasped, trying to catch his breath and get back on his fight before the countdown ended.  
Fortunately, he could still count on Hildegan. A small whirlwind suddenly materialized behind Kulilin and the monster’s sharp tail came shooting out. Still maintaining the Kaioken, the short fighter barely dodged. Just as he did, another Kienzan sliced through the tail turning it to smoke once again.  
Behind him, another tornado formed and an enormous fist lunged out of it. Using the maximum Kaioken he could bear, Kulilin turned and blocked the punch. His entire arm stung from the impact, and it jolted him back and up. The next blow, which came from directly behind him, finally caught him unprepared. The human barely had the split second needed to push the Kaioken beyond his bearable limit, just before the impact. It ended up saving his life, as otherwise the blow would have been instantly fatal.  
Launched towards the ring, Kulilin managed to regain control of his body just before impact. However, another of Hildegan’s huge fists was coming straight for him. He ducked below the blow at the last second, which shattered the arena again.  
There wasn’t much time left, but the Kaioken was becoming unbearable—even to the point of blurring the bald man’s vision. This time when Hildegan’s tail materialized behind him, he didn’t see a thing. The sharp tail struck him hard in the back, slamming him against the ring but not killing him.  
His will to keep fighting completely quenched, Kulilin finally fell unconscious. While Tapion was in awful shape himself, he remained conscious. The Vargas confirmed the fight’s result.  
“Victory for Tapion of universe 3!”  
In spite of winning, the musician was still disappointed in himself. ‘That was too close, I’ve got to find a more effective strategy...’  
Indeed, this had only been his first opponent. In all likelihood, the following battles were all going to be much more challenging. First, he’d have to face Cell, a being capable of regenerating parts of his body like a lizard.  
Unconscious, Kulilin was carefully taken by a Namek organizer back to the space of universe 9. While his friends surrounded him, the Namekian began to use his healing magic. Within a few seconds, his injuries disappeared and he awoke.  
He, unlike Tapion, was actually quite happy with his performance—in spite of his defeat. He had given his all in combat, he’d just failed to capitalize on an opportunity to tip the balance. Kulilin didn’t see it as a failure.  
Now, only Tenshinhan remained from universe 9, who would be competing against Buu of universe 4...  
Universe 3, year 780, on planet Zioga 3...  
The entire planet was a desert. No life whatsoever inhabited the cold star, not even primitive forms. A single palace stood in the middle of nowhere, completely isolated—it would take a miracle to find it.  
Given his perseverance, though, Hoi had clearly done just that. The pointy eared creature stood before the huge palace, its towers reaching high into the sky. He was alone on his quest, he needed no one else. The only person he did need was currently residing within this palace, which also doubled as one massive laboratory.  
Slowly, Hoi entered the palace. He had expected the great castle to be blocked off by a massive door, but there was none. Only a single towering archway over the entrance remained. It was almost as if the palace was inviting, welcoming any and all inside. Yet there was no one, not in the main hall nor in the corridors. The entire place seemed as if it had been abandoned ages ago, yet strangely enough there was no dust. Surely, as strong as the winds were outside the walls, the sandy desert would have been strewn everywhere throughout the building. But it looked like it had just been cleaned an hour ago. Additionally, lights were lit in each hallway, as if guiding Hoi.  
He eventually arrived at his destination, a huge room as tall as it was wide. The far wall was an extremely massive picture window, which only made the place feel even more spacious. In the center, just in front of the window, stood an arch. It supported some kind of strange machine that resembled a brain, and was powered by numerous cables coming from walls and pillar conduits in every direction.  
Underneath the arch there seemed to be a thick carpet made of brains...or so was Hoi’s impression. There, levitating just a few inches above the squishy globular carpet, a single person floated on a crystal sphere.  
His back was turned to Hoi, revealing his long silver hair and two large black epaulettes. Hoi silently approached, until the mysterious figure spoke—never turning around.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“The door was open...I mean, there was no door,” Hoi explained, fumbling.  
“There is no life on this planet. Thus, I need no door,” the old man said quietly.  
Hoi fell onto his knees. It had taken him so long to finally reach his goal. Now, he only needed to convince the man floating before him...  
“You are my only hope...Dr Raichi!”  
As the old man remained silent, never looking back, Hoi continued.  
“Have you ever heard the tale of the great hero Tapion?”


End file.
